Clara Lovett
by HamPickleSandwich
Summary: "I'm apparently your niece." said Clara. Clara Lovett visits Jack Skellington because of his upcoming wedding. Not actually my first story. Sweeney Todd crossover sort of, not really . Rated T for fluff in later chapters. All disclaimers apply.
1. Meet Clara

If one had seen her on the streets, one may have mistaken her for Lydia Deetz, or maybe a 20 year old Shock. Her wild black hair could not be easily looked over, especially with the only controlled part of her hair, which was a sleek white section, close to her face. That she somehow inherited from her father. Her eyes were like both of her parents, which were dark and shadowed. She was taller than average, and wore mostly dark items of clothing. On this particular evening, her attire consisted of black and white knee high socks, boy's school shoes, a black blazer and matching skirt, and a white dress shirt with black buttons. The white of the shirt was a fair rival to the ivory skin of the 15 year old. Her name was Clara Lovett, and she was dead.

Well, technically, Clara had never been alive. She died while she was still a tiny fetus, and for reasons unknown to her she had been born somehow in Heaven, and raised by her step mother Lucy. She didn't know who her parents were, and she didn't want to know them. In Clara's opinion, her father was a treacherous murderer who slit the throats of innocent men- apart from some judge and a man called B-something, according to Lucy- with barber's knives, and her mother was a hateful swine who didn't deserve to know her. Heck, anyone who baked dead men into pies were not worth knowing. Her father made things worse by killing her mother (thus killing Clara as well) by thrusting her into her own pie oven, and minutes later some kindred spirit killed her father by slitting his throat with his own knife. She also knew that her father was the one who killed her step mother- her mother told her father that Lucy was dead, and he didn't recognize her. Other than that information she had gathered over the years, Clara didn't know who here parents were, other than their names. She hated them all the same.

Like anyone that hates their parents, Clara blamed them for everything bad that had happened to her. This current predicament she was in was no exception. Contrary to popular belief, afterlife is actually normal for dead people. The difference between Heaven and Hell was that Hell-dwellers could only stay in Hell. Sure, Satan was the head of the place, but it wasn't like Hell was a big, fiery, demon-producing torture chamber. Neither was Heaven a large, peaceful sanctuary. Hell was more of an endless prison, and Heaven was like a big office building, mixed with a retirement home. There were only 2 other places you could go where you were dead that she knew of- rebirth, which was giving up your afterlife for a new soul, or to a completely new realm, which was a big place called the Hinterlands. This brought Clara back to her problem.

Hell dwellers could send letters to, and be visited by those in Heaven. Naturally, her parents sent her letters every week. The last one she received from them explained of an entirely new development- her father had a younger brother that lived in Halloween Town. He was getting married, and they thought it would be a good plan for Clara to see more of the Underworld and visit for a few weeks, until the big day. They didn't agree on anything usually, so this was also a new development. But, typically, her parents gave her no more information than how to get to the Hinterland realm. This meant that she was now horribly lost. At least her step mother did so much as help her get here. She wandered around aimlessly for at least another hour, until she finally found something. A grove of trees which had doors embedded in the seven largest ones.

"Halloween, Halloween. If I was from Halloween I would probably be a... pumpkin!" she muttered to herself, remembering her lessons from her step mother- a Jack o' Lantern was a common symbol associated with Halloween. Something else from her parent's letter clicked in her mind... though it flashed away as soon as it appeared. 'At least he's expecting me', she thought. 'Is he?' a little voice asked her. Nervously, she shook her head, and grasped the nose of the grinning Jack o' Lantern door, to be sucked in by an autumn wind, with leaves blowing around her.


	2. Lost and Found

Benji stood at the end of the aisle, waiting impatiently for the precession to begin

Like the slight coward she was, she spent around 5 minutes screaming her head off while she fell down a portal of... nothingness. Nothingness soon became something, though, when she fell down 'gracefully' on her bottom at the very edge of a forest. She growled.

"Now why did I fall down from the sky when that seems to be the exact same forest right there?" she grumbled to herself, brushing the dirt off her, and looking up at the sign that had appeared out of nowhere. It read 'Halloween Town.' She squinted and frowned.

'Well duh.' she thought angrily. She was not one for surprises. She picked up her satchel and walked towards a distant town that she guessed was her final destination.

She crossed a bridge, and found herself of the edge of a very large graveyard. There was a hill nearby her, one that curled into a spiral. 'How strange.' Clara continued onwards towards the gate on the other side. She passed many a grave, some that looked oddly like screaming chess pieces. Even though she liked the dark and scary back in Heaven, she was getting more and more spooked as shadows grew. She swore one was even moving. Finally, she got to the gate, took a step forward... and promptly fell down the stairs.

"Great. Just great." she muttered as she stood up, blushing furiously when she caught the eyes of three strolling players. Slowly, she began to walk onwards. One player, who seemed to be playing the skeleton of a fish or snake as a saxophone spoke to her.

"Need help, sweet? We ain't seen you round here before." Clara shrugged.

"I'm here to visit my uncle. Sadly I don't know who he is." she said, blushing.

"Know his name?" the deep voice of the accordion player asked her.

"No. Wait, I might. It starts with a J?" she replied feebly. He shrugged.

"He's-getting-married. That's-all-I-can-remember." she rushed. Realization flooded the musician's faces, and Clara felt a surge of hope. However, it was quickly dashed by their new looks, which were skeptical. The saxophone player spoke again, slowly.

"The only guy gettin' married is the bone-daddy. I didn't think he had a brother."

"He does. Only Sweeney lives in Hell. Please, I only found out about my uncle yesterday." She gave a pleading look to a nearby rat, which looked up at her blankly.

"The bone-daddy lives in the tower over there." a voice which seemed to come from the double bass player's instrument (which it did- Clara had to restrain from gasping or fainting) piped up. Clara looked, and sure enough, there was a tower that rose up over the rest of the town. She grinned thankfully at the musicians.

"Thank you, thank you very much!" she said, running off.

She got to the tower she was looking for- a manor, apparently. The gate leading to the large house had an image of a pumpkin on it, and two wire cats on either side. The rest of the fence was brick, reaching over her head. A small plaque on the left side read 'Skellington Manor'. Timidly, she opened the gate, and climbed up the front steps. The house was built on an impossibly thin rock precipice, and looked as if her weight would make it collapse. She pulled the spider bell-pull. There was a scream coming from inside the house. She hoped desperately that it was the doorbell. She didn't find out initially, as there was no answer. She stood on tip toe to see into the overhead window. There were no lights on. 'Come to think of it, there were no lights in the tower either.' she thought, kicking a stone in frustration. She was at a house that may not even belong to her uncle, and she didn't know who her uncle was, AND there was no answer her. Life sucked. She sat down dejectedly on the top step, leaning against a support for the porch roof.

She sat up straight with a jolt. She had brought her parent's letter with her. She smacked herself on the forehead. She opened her satchels and rummaged for the crumpled piece of parchment. She scanned her mother's slanted handwriting for the paragraph on her uncle.

'_His name is Jack Skellington. He's getting married to some woman called Sally, and your father and I agreed that it would be polite to send you along since we can't congratulate them ourselves. Be sure to explain to Jack that you are the daughter of Benjamin Barker (your uncle was Jack Barker in his lifetime), as he doesn't know the whole debacle with Mr. Todd, okay? Lots of love from Mum._

She blinked back a few tears. She felt desperately out of place here, and she hadn't even been here for an hour. Her parents were using her as some kind of messenger. This was not like some visit to her 'half-sister' Johanna or any of her other friends. If she was just doing that she could easily walk home. Here she was alone and scared, with almost nothing familiar to comfort her. She tried to think of her uncle and what he looked like. Would he look like her father? Would he look more like Sweeney or Benjamin?

'Not that it makes any difference, since I have nothing to judge by.' a voice in her head pointed out to her. She leaded against the support again, not noticing two figures heading up to the gate. It wasn't until she heard two voices that she sat bolt upright, breath held.

"Its okay, Sally. The doctor has to let him out of the house eventually."

"I just feel so helpless, watching him live the life I had! I mean, he might not-"

"Hang on Sally. Stay there." the second voice cut the first one off, and its owner opened the gate. Clara stood up to her full height, but as soon as she did she wished she could shrink to the size of a tiny speck of dust. The figure was the tallest one she had ever seen.

The figure climbed up to the top of the stairs and faced her with a kind but firm look.

"And who might you be, miss? It's a bit late to be outside, particularly outside my house." he said. Clara had never been so afraid in her life. The figure (she decided he was a man in about his 20's) was a living skeleton. The pigments on his bones were an ivory white, and his eye sockets were ebony black. He was clad in a black and white pinstripe suit, with a white shirt, and a bat bow tie. Clara soon realized she had been staring.

"I'm, um, Clara, sir. I'm looking for, ah, Jack Skellington?" she stammered. He looked at her strangely, as if this development did not interest him. He spoke again.

"Why would you be looking for Jack Skellington at this hour, Miss Clara?" he asked.

"I- I'm his niece." she explained lamely. His expression changed to shock.

"Niece? I only have one niece." he said to himself skeptically. Clara rolled her eyes.

"Are you Jack Skellington, sir?" she asked him. He nodded, though rather absently.

"I suppose you should come inside then." he decided, turning towards the other figure.

"Okay, Sally. Its safe." he said, walking back down the steps, and taking her hand. He led her up the stairs before he took a key out his pocket and unlocked the door.

"I'm very interested in how it came to be that my brother had a second child, though." Jack said offhandedly to Clara, who turned red. Jack was still wary of her.

"Just so you know; I don't know them very well myself." Clara pointed out sheepishly.

Jack stared back at her in amazement.


	3. And They Were Beautiful

_Author's Note: Well, since it is the third chapter already, I should probably reinforce my disclaimers. The only things I own (or so far, anyway) are Clara and my version of this song you guys may find familiar. I'm not naming it cause honestly, I don't really know what it's called. It might be called 'Barber and his Wife', but I'm not really sure of that. Oh, and I apologise for the strange starting sentence in the last chapter- that was from a story that I was going to write, but decided not to. I was too lazy to delete the file. Oh well. Anyway, on with the story. PS- Reviews get virtual cookies!_

* * *

"So, Clara, what's your story?" Jack asked, cradling his head in his left hand casually. Sally was pouring tea into three mugs, listening intently. She returned it, and faced Clara as well. Clara shrugged, emotion filling her eyes. It was a mixture of sadness, fear and hate. She drummed her fingers nervously, a tiny flush creeping across her cheeks.

"I don't know the story all that well... I mean, Lucy still doesn't want me to know it all."

"Surely you know at least what happened to cause you to come into existence? I mean, I know Johanna looked like Lucy- and frankly, you don't really look like Lucy or Benjamin." Jack asked, guilt tracing his features. Clara sighed, looking at the table. Getting an idea, she swallowed a mouthful of tea, bracing herself slightly. She sang, so quietly and so sadly that Jack felt a slight shiver go down his spinal cord.

"_There was a barber and his wife _

_and they were beautiful... _

_a foolish barber and his wife. _

_Set for tragedy and strife... _

_and they were beautiful, but he turned murderous. _

_And she was naive. _

_There was another man who saw _

_that they were beautiful... _

_Some sick enforcer of the law _

_who, with a gesture of his claw _

_removed the barber from his plate! _

_And there was nothing but to wait! _

_And they would fall! _

_So soft! _

_So young! _

_So lost and oh so beautiful!"_

Jack put an arm protectively around his fiancé. Shakily, he spoke.

"Do you know what happened afterwards?"

Clara sung back bitterly.

"_No, that was many years ago... _

_I don't really want to know." _

Sally's hands were shaking as Clara finished her song. She let out a tiny laugh.

"Benjamin returned from Australia as a new man, Sweeney Todd. He set out to Fleet Street, where he found his old residence. The wife of his old landlord was still there. He set up as a barber... I think he started killing people because he had anger management problems, and Nellie came up with the idea of cooking his victims into meat pies. After a while, he killed Beadle, Turpin, and Lucy, then he killed Nellie and me."

"That's horrible! What happened to him?" Sally asked, disbelief lacing her voice.

"He died too, the same night. He was distracted, holding the corpse of my step mum. Nellie's apprentice killed him. Slit his throat. I think his name was Toby." Clara replied thoughtfully, as if her words were just used for lack of better phrasing. Jack and Sally exchanged a quick glance. Her story still left questions unanswered.

Jack spoke again.

"I don't mean to sound rude, but that doesn't really explain why you're here."

"Why I'm here? You think I would have come here for no apparent reason? I got a letter from Nellie telling me briefly about you and Sally, and how you're getting married in a few weeks, and she said I had to come down on behalf of Sweeney. Hell dwellers can't leave, just like in jail." Clara said bluntly, raising her voice just a little.

"That wasn't exactly what I meant, Clara. No need to get angry, Sally and I like having guests to stay here." Jack corrected his folly quickly.

Clara laughed loudly.

"What? How I got here? Jeez, you'd think a grown man would know how kids are born!"

"I know THAT. What I mean is that your mother would have been pregnant with you when she died, right? So how can a dead fetus be born?" Jack blushed slightly.

"Oh. That. Well. God took pity on me, is all. My soul escaped the fire and floated its merry way up to Heaven. It was looked after until I became a grown baby, and Lucy became my guardian and stepmother. I have never met my real parents, not that I want to. I hate them for giving me life, when I could have gotten it from a living family that knew how to love." she explained, twiddling her fingers as she did so. It was a tender subject.

"And I don't suppose you know how Ben got so close to your mother that, well..."

"No. Their story is disgusting enough without bringing sex into it." Clara interrupted Jack's musing with more bitterness. Sally looked at Jack with a little bit of shock. How this adolescent could bring up that three letter word so openly with people she barely knew was something strange. Jack waved away Sally's posing question with a twitch of his bone thumb on her soft hand. He yawned, stretching a little. He spoke tiredly.

"It's getting a bit late, I suppose. The tower room is suitable for staying in, at least for the night. Sally and I have been moving books to the master bedroom all day, and there are still other things, clothes and whatnot, that need to be moved."

"That's perfectly fine with me- I'm just glad that you've let me in." Clara replied.

"Alright then, I'll show you the way." Jack said, slightly cheered.


	4. Benjamin

Through the night, Clara slept peacefully. Although her dreams were of bats, spiders and goblins, they were as harmless as dreams of sugar plums on Christmas Eve. Waking up the next morning to a darkened room, it took Clara a few minutes to remember where she was. Drowsily, she sat up, and dressed. Tossing her large red nightshirt to the floor, she pulled on some dark green overalls and the shirt she wore the day before. Her shoes today were a pair of black laced boots. Pulling her hair up into the style she wore everyday (three ponytails on the top of her head); she trotted down the stairs into the kitchen. There was nothing there but a note.

_To Clara,_

_Sally is out of town for the day. I'll be around town somewhere, most likely in the Town Hall. Just leave the house and turn right. Be sure to watch for Lock, Shock and Barrel- they may be as old as you but they are still as tricky as they were when they were little._

_Love Jack. _

Smiling, Clara folded up the note and left it in her pocket. Jack and Sally were really kind people, especially to take her in on such short notice. They were much different from her parents... they couldn't even let Jack know that she was going. As Clara left the house, a peculiar feeling gurgled in her heart. As if something big was about to happen, but she didn't know what. After nearly killing herself missing the first step past the front door, she decided it was probably the chill startling her. Closing the rickety gate behind her, she turned right... and was smacked into by a gangly person, taller than she. Clara stood up angrily and brushed herself off, not looking at the other person.

"You should watch where you're going; you could 'ave kill... me...?" she trailed off.

The boy was beautiful. Not girly beautiful, but masculine, though not enough to say 'handsome'. His hair was a little longish, wild, and black, standing up on end like hers. He was about a head taller than her, with dark chocolate brown eyes. By his left eye were stitches leading in two directions; up to the top left corner of his face, and to his left temple. He wore dark clothing; a dark grey jacket over black trousers. He seemed too beautiful to be a Halloween creature, but too ugly to be accepted into another society. Strangely enough, looking at him reminded her of Sally. She scratched her head.

"Um, maybe not kill me... I am already dead." she corrected herself, blushing. The boy nodded grimly, going on his way, very briskly.

Jack sat on the edge of the stage in the Town Hall, moving his hand in a semi-circular shape, eyes closed and smiling, to the beat of the musician's new tune. It was quick, and lively, much more... jolly than anything they had ever previously come up with. Jack clicked his tongue at the use of Christmas vocabulary, opening his eyes. In his past life, Jack loved swing and jive tunes, and the only thing that prevented him from dancing to this one was that he had no partner. At was at this moment when Clara stuck her head in the door, looking around nervously. The saxophone player waved to the girl, who smiled back courteously. Puzzled, Jack motioned for his niece to enter the room.

"Jack? Can I ask you something?" Clara started. Even though it had only been a few minutes, the boys stare was something she could not get off her mind. Jack nodded.

"You know everyone in town right?" she continued hopefully. Jack nodded again.

"Do you know a boy who's a bit taller than me with stitches on his face and wrists? Kinda like Sally but has black hair like mine and white skin?" she asked, cringing at her lack of descriptive words. Jack frowned in thought. After a moment, he brightened.

"You could be talking about Benjamin, Clara! If that's who I think you're talking about. He's one of the more recent creations of the Doctor's... he was designed to be like a son for the old man. He is the only one I can think of who reminds people of Sally." he explained thoughtfully. Clara shrugged, hoping Jack was right. Sitting down, she stared out the window intently. A face appeared at the window. It was the boy from before.

"Is that him, Jack?" she asked, not removing her gaze from the window. Jack gave a glance, and nodded. Clara smiled to the boy, hoping he would smile back. However, Benjamin disappeared from view. Clara sat there, confused.


	5. His Point of View and Back Again

Breathing heavily, Benjamin ran into the graveyard, shaking furiously. Who was that girl? She didn't look like anyone he had ever seen! He could hear her voice floating through his head. Her slight cockney accent was something he had never heard out of a girl before- it was almost refreshing. Many of the young witches and she-demons spoke with an edging accent, not quite the same as the tones the older women used with Jack Skellington, but close. The young girl had actually raised her voice in irritation, before she had trailed off as their eyes had found each other. She looked... impossible. As if a person of her appearance should not exist. Not in this realm, the real world, not anywhere.

And yet he did not even know her name. Only that he could remember her appearance exactly: dark green overalls, with tall lace-up black boots, a white shirt that reminded him of snow. Her hair was mainly loose, frizzing in all directions, with three ponytails blending in to the rest of it (just pointing that much higher). Except, he noticed, the lone streak of white which fell straight down, ending just below her jaw. But what were etched permanently into his mind's eye were her eyes. They were the darkest brown you could ever find in a pair of eyes, without being black. A line of dark red encircled her pupils, and was tinged in the rest of her irises.

Benjamin was abruptly brought back into reality by three other teenagers shaking him.

"Hello? Wake up, stupid!" they shouted in unison. Benjamin blinked to see his friends waving their hands in front of his face. The first, and shortest, was dressed in black pants (humans would call them 'jeans'), and a dark green jumper. His hair, which used to be slick and oily, was now matted, and bordered on a more brownish colour, though one could tell that is once dyed a bright green. The second was dressed similarly, though his jumper was red, as was his hair (though that too had become darker), which was cut a lot shorter than it used to be, and his strange fringe was long gone. The third, and only girl, was an experience witch, and the only one of the three with a paid job. She wore a simple lilac blouse, and black jeans like the rest of them. Her frizzy black hair was left loose, and it had only grown longer and thicker over the years.

Their names were Lock, Shock and Barrel, once the best trick or treaters one could ever have found, however they had abandoned their peculiar attire, only keeping what could not be rid of, such as Lock's devil tail, and Barrel's three-toed feet. Shock only wore her hat on occasion, but. Benjamin did not take much notice of them pulling him up, and dragging him over to their worn-out tree house at the other end of the graveyard.

"Come on, Benji! Wake up!" Shock shouted, slapping him. His reflexes returned.

"What the hell was that for?" he snarled, turning. Shock raised her hands defensively.

"You looked all gooey in the eyes, Ben. What's the matter with ya?" Barrel explained, crossing his arms. Lock sat down next to him on their tiny couch, punching him.

"You met a girl, did ya?" he teased, not expected Benjamin's returning blush. Lock and Barrel exchanged glances, while Shock's mouth fell open. Benjamin looked down, out of embarrassment and shame.

Clara lay down on the bed, exhausted. She helped Jack all afternoon to cart his possessions down to the new master bedroom. On top of that, she had never climbed up and down so many stairs in her afterlife. It wasn't like it was lots of staircases, it was just that the stairs leading to the tower bedroom was so... long, or something like that. Jack could easily skip even 5 stairs at once, and Clara could barely skip two, so she had to jog up after her uncle. Her energy returned to her slowly, and it was dark by the time she felt like she could walk again. This was rather convenient, as during the time she laid there, Sally had returned from her mysterious outing (which turned out to be a discreet shopping trip) and cooked a light dinner for them all. Her soft voice called out to Clara as she was walking down the stairs.

"Oh, there you are, Clara. I hope you'll like this, I know it won't be quite like what you eat at home, but there isn't much of that around here." Sally explained, while a tiny shade of pink bloomed on her cheeks. Clara shrugged, thanking her courteously. In her mind, food was food, and she had already sampled some of Sally's cooking, which was the best thing she had ever eaten. The three ate in an almost awkward silence, before Jack spoke.

"There's going to be a meeting tomorrow night, so I won't be around for dinner tomorrow." he told the pair, though it was more directed at Sally. Clara swallowed.

"What do you do at the meetings, Jack?" she asked, more out of polite curiosity.

"Well, basically we talk about Halloween, and issues that need to be solved. Mr. Hyde tells me that some of the pumpkins have already started growing, out of season."

"Ah." Clara said. She stretched, hunching over and yawning. Jack spoke again.

"There's also a whole town conference next week, Clara, so you should come along and participate, or at least see what it's about. Almost everyone goes, so don't fret about being the only one there. Even the Doctor's going to this one." he pointed out. Sally stiffened, shooting a worried look at her love. Jack squeezed her hand gently with a reassuring look.

After dinner, Clara climbed up into her room, noticing the record player for the first time. Letting out a squeal of delight, she raced towards her bag and pulled out her records. She had not danced, not since... Clara shook her head, and put the first record into it. It was labelled 'JIVE', and indeed, it was a jumping tune. She danced with an energy that she had never come up with before, the adrenaline racing through her heart.


	6. Be Tender Before You Smile

Clara was awake by the dawn of her third day at Halloween Town. She was eager to rise before the sun came out on this morning- she had not yet lingered by the graveyard's majestic centerpiece, the Spiral Hill. Clara had packed an easel and arts set, in the hopes of finding something beautiful there. It would be a most suitable wedding present for her uncle and soon-to-be aunt. Reassuring herself that everything was in suitable condition, she turned to her suitcase and started to dress. Today she wore a pleated black skirt, a black satin vest and a white shirt with grey embroidery (a flower was stitched on the breast). She chose to wear her boots again, with white tights. Quietly, she tip-toed down the stairs as to not wake Jack or Sally, who were both still asleep in their queen sized bed, to her knowledge. But, as she reached the kitchen so she could make herself breakfast, she realized that she wasn't the only one awake. Jack stared at her incredulously.

"What are you doing up this early?" he queried, eyeing her bag with a sense of confusion.

"Um, it's a secret?" she replied, knowing that Jack wouldn't buy it. He didn't at all.

"What have you got there?" he asked, frowning at her. Clara sat down, sighing.

"An easel, pencils, paints, paintbrushes, and charcoal. I'm going to the graveyard to paint that hill... as a wedding present." she informed him, defeated. Jack's face changed to that of apology and dismay. He sat down at the table, and held her hand in a paternal way.

"I'm sorry, Clara... but, we can still keep it as a surprise from Sally, can't we?" he asked her, smiling as Clara's eyes lit up in return. She grinned, winking at him.

"Thanks, Jack." she said, getting up, and moving around the table. Jack watched her in interest, not sure what she was about to do. Clara wrapped her arms around her uncle's skeletal frame, a sign of affection she had never really shown on anyone before, not even her stepmother. After a couple of seconds, she felt two spidery hands stroke her shoulder blades, hugging her in return. It was truly the tenderest moment Clara had ever experienced in her afterlife. As they parted, she noticed that her uncle's cheekbones had turned a little bit grey. She giggled, ignoring the hot sensation which meant a rosy blush on her own cheeks.

She set out for the graveyard in high spirits. The dim pumpkin sun had just begun to rise, and she set up her easel joyfully at the perfect place- with no graves in the way of her subject. Sketching the outlines of the hill, she worked quickly, unaware of the presence of several other Halloween adolescents. In turn, her accidental companions did not let her know of their being there. For an hour, Clara slaved meticulously at her painting. Her grey smock had become covered in her paints from her palette- orange, grey, black, yellow, et cetera. Moving back, she admired her work. She thought herself a pretty good landscape artist. The Spiral Hill painting was ready for a frame when it was dry. Bobbing up and down to a tune in her head, she packed up her things, singing a little loudly.

'_When you see a guy reach for stars in the sky,_

_You can bet that he's doing it for some doll!_

_When you spot poor John waiting out in the rain,_

_Chances are he's insane as only a John can be a Jane_

_When you meet a gent paying all kinds of rent_

_For a flat that could flatten the Taj Mahal...' _

She was so caught up in her happiness she didn't notice the second voice accompany her.

'_Call it sad, call it funny, but it's better than even money-_

_That the guys only doing it for some doll!!'_

Clara turned around, suddenly aware of her singing partner. But all she could see was a tall boy walking towards the other end of the graveyard, singing, and boy, he had a voice. It took her a minute to recognize him, but to her embarrassment, it was Benjamin!

'_When you see a Joe saving half of his dough,_

_You can bet he'll be making it for some doll!_

_When a bum buys wine like a bum can't afford-_

_It's a synch that the bum is under the thumb of some little broad...'_

Clara hid behind a gravestone as Benjamin turned around, almost angrily. She heard him pace back and forth, muttering to himself. Something about a musical, and forgetting the words. There was something else too... but it was too quiet for her to her courage (what is wrong with you, Clara? she thought to herself), she stood up as Benjamin walked away. She took off her smock, and took a few steps towards the boy.

"You're good, you know." she called out to him. He froze, as if he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Turning around slowly, he closed the distance between them, if only by a few inches. Then a metre. Clara took another step. They were only a pace away from touching each other now. He looked her in the eyes. And then he smiled at her.

* * *

Clara swooned onto her bed, much to the chagrin of her common sense. What a smile. What a smile. What. A. Smile. THAT SMILE!!! It was all the wild side of her could think about, that secret side which she had never realized she had before. Her common sense nagged at her. (What are you so happy about? People smile at you all the time! It's nothing to go on about!) Closing her eyes, she tried to think of other things. But that crooked flash of teeth kept coming back to her. It looked so easy, and yet it had this disastrous effect on her mental state. (Clara, tell me. Is it just me or have you forgotten that one plus one equals 2 and not window?!) At this, Clara sat up, shook her head, and smiled to herself again. She may have shaken her initial feeling off, but Benjamin's smile was to remain etched in her heart forever.

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From HamPickleSandwich: Hey guys, I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Firstly, I like to thank Cohen's Chicas and hikari123 tremendously for all their reviews. You ought to learn from their example, folks. Oh, and thanks devilight, aka Carlina, for your review. Please don't be shy, I get all these 'story favorite' alerts but nobody reviews! Anyway. The song from before is from the musical 'Guys and Dolls', and I think that may be the name of the song too, though I'm not sure. It's sung by Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and I most definitely do not own it. I'm not sure if I disclaimed the other song from the second (second?) chapter... I rewrote it, but I don't think that necessarily means I own it. All I own is Clara and Benjamin. And now I bid thee good day. Baaaaaaiiieeeeeee!


	7. Nathan, Tirades, and Places to Stay

Benjamin laughed loudly. Lock stared, and Barrel smiled widely. The redhead tried again.

"I'm serious, Ben. Do you want to know this girl or what?" he asked. Benjamin shrugged.

"I gotta admit, she's... well, hot." he admitted, more lighthearted than he really meant.

"So you like her then?" Barrel pressed, as eager as his devil friend for information.

"What? No! Not like that! She's... she's out of my league. It would be imprudent to even think secretly about her in that way." he answered, a little too sharply for his taste, and ending a little bit too unhappily than he would have liked to sound. Lock laughed dryly.

"That makes me think about that song you're always singing. How does it go?" he asked.

"Love is a thing that has lictim, and-" Barrel prompted, before Benjamin cut him off.

"And it looks like Nathan's another victim, I know, I know. She was singing it in the cemetery today. But I'm not Nathan, and I never will be. Not that I remember who he is."

Shock had left the boys for work as an apprentice witch, which led to them talking. It had been two days, and Benjamin still didn't know the girl's name. You couldn't be in love with someone you couldn't name, Benjamin reasoned to himself. He had thought those words many times, and said them to himself threefold. He sighed, muttering.

"But my heart seems to persist, the uncontrollable wretch." Lock raised an eyebrow.

"What?" he queried; a look of true concern (a rare feat for the boy) on his features.

"Nothing. I'm fine. Stupendous. I'm... okay." Benjamin informed him, looking out the window into the now grey sky. A fine day was rare in Halloween Town, but that was probably a good thing. Clear skies were sight destroyers, the doctor had told him. There were few that could see well in the sunlight without being in the shade or with eye protection. Benjamin himself was one of them, as was Jack Skellington, not surprisingly.

"Ach! I'm going outside!" he suddenly announced angrily, storming out of the room. He needed to clear his head, rid himself of any thoughts about the mysterious girl. This probably meant not thinking about the Pumpkin King or his future wife, in addition.

But the minds of Fate and Coincidence never seemed to like Benjamin much, he lamented. This breakthrough came when he entered the town, just to find its ruler talking to his fiancé by the fountain. Benjamin gulped. It was about time he found out the girl's name. Slowly, he walked up to Jack and Sally, but before he could do so, Shock called to him. Irritably, he turned his pace towards the purple-clad girl stirring rakishly at a pot.

"Yes, stiff, weird, magical, fairy-witch Shock?" he asked, infuriated for no good reason.

"She's staring at you." Shock retorted, not looking up from her work. She was a master at being indifferent. Benjamin, on the other hand, immediately decided that his heart didn't like his head very much, either. He had never felt this way about anything.

"She's coming towards us." his companion pointed out, still not looking up. Benjamin nearly had a heart attack, stumbling backward, tripping over his own feet onto the hard cobblestone footpath. Blushing, he stood up, brushing the dust off his pants while Shock laughed her head off. Sheepishly, Benjamin turned around to find that the girl was, in fact, never there at all. Jack was giving him a curious look. Giving a quick smile back, he sauntered off, though not before pummeling his fist down on Shock's flattened hand.

* * *

He kept his pace even, breathing with every step that touched the cobblestone street. Doctor Finklestein was probably worried about him; he was an overly protective old man. Though, it was true that Benjamin's mentor and 'father figure' had not always been so forgiving, not always so willing to let his creations come and go as they pleased. It was common knowledge that Sally had never been allowed out... to the extent that Sally had poisoned Doctor Finklestein with a sedative known as Deadly Nightshade. As a result, they hated each other, though Benjamin treated Sally's existence with respect. Though he had never really spoken to her, he idolized her for escaping the dull prison. Benjamin couldn't stand his home as it was, and how Sally managed until she finally ran away for the last time was a mystery to him, yet to be solved. His reverie was interrupted as he bumped into his own front door. Cursing, he unlocked the front door quietly.

"You're late for your lessons, Benjamin." a croaky voice warbled. Benjamin shrank against the wall, staring nervously at the black goggle-like glasses of his creator.

"S-sorry, sir. I lost track of the time. I was in the graveyard." he explained feebly.

Doctor Finklestein was a frail old man, confined to his electric wheelchair, crafted from his own hands. But his appearance was not to be deceived. Behind his frail, withered body was a cruel mastermind; an infernal genius. He himself was the one who supplied the town with electricity; inventing machines the likes of which none of our own inventors had ever dreamed of in their wildest fantasies. It his was street smarts and reasoning, not to mention his intelligence, which got the town to where it is on this very day. Well, according to the old fool. Benjamin had a much more real aspect on life, knowing that while the Doctor did create electricity for this town, and a generator to eternally supply the town with it, his creator's absurd creations didn't really do anything useful. Sure, they were used on Halloween for special effects, and sometimes they cranked out fake body parts or something of the like, but Benjamin knew fully well that anything the Doctor invented (or created, in several cases) were made to help nobody but himself. However, Benjamin told nobody of his beliefs, simply because he was too afraid of the wrath that Doctor Finklestein was sure to instill on him, should he find out.

"Well? Shall we then?" the old man prompted. Benjamin suddenly became aware of where he was again. Coughing slightly, he nodded, following the wheelchair up the slow ramp, becoming suddenly aware of how tall he was. The boy decided to ask about it.

"Um, Doctor Finklestein, sir?" he started, sounding quite strangled.

"Yes?" The Doctor looked impatient as he turned around. They had entered the lab.

"Was I always this tall?" Benjamin struggled to say it. He sounded very skeptical, accusing, even. He mentally kicked himself for sounding so rude. Outwardly, he sat down and tried to give a kind look, to make amends. The Doctor noticed nothing.

"Actually, I think you've grown over time. Perhaps it was an unintentional mistake I made... do you not like being tall, Benjamin? I can fix it, if you like." Doctor Finklestein took off his glasses, peering into Benjamin's eyes with an unnamed emotion, well, not one that could be named. For once, the Doctor did not sneer, and as he only had a small repertoire of feelings, Benjamin could not tell how his creator felt. He shook his head.

"It's not that I don't like being tall, Doctor. I only just realized how tall I really was... it's a little bit, um, overwhelming." he explained. The Doctor shrugged, almost casually.

"Your incredible height is certainly quite surprising, I'll give you that. Though, there are a few things you may find in afterlife a bit more bewildering, for example, the beauty behind terror, or a scientific discovery. That and if you find yourself taller than the Pumpkin King one day." Doctor Finklestein spoke his last sentence bitterly, like he was eating dirt.

The hours ticked by as the lessons continued. Today, Benjamin was trusted enough to have a very advanced lesson; the art of creating life, of course. It was quite a dull thing, to listen to his creator and teacher rant and rave about the delights, fears, and misadventures of creating a living creature, not to mention it was a very boring process. To start simply, Benjamin decided to draw plans for a corpse dog. Not that his decisions mattered in the end. Doctor Finklestein laughed dryly, a sly tone entering his voice.

"A bit too simple for a smart boy such as yourself, Benjamin." he said sadistically.

"What did you have in mind, sir?" Benjamin replied innocently, unaware of the Doctor's intentions. His creator, on the other hand, looked far from innocent. He cackled.

"Jewel has been telling me that she feels so left out around here..." he started slyly.

"With all due respect, sir, she has you and Igor." Benjamin stated, not understanding.

"Does she really, Benjamin? I stay up in this laboratory all day, with Igor. You, on the other hand, are almost never here," he said this, bitterness clouding his face slightly. "What I think Jewel really needs is a feminine companion to keep her company, for womanly conversation. There is an uneven ratio of men to women in the house, Benjamin. And it is common knowledge across the whole town that Jewel is not the only one that is all alone." he explained, eyeing Benjamin meaningfully as he finished. With that, Benjamin started to squirm uncontrollably, suddenly clear to the Doctor's intentions.

He stood up fluidly, trying to leave the lab as calmly as possible. He spoke quietly, with anger lacing his voice, mingling with shame, embarrassment, and defiance. If one listened carefully, one could also tell that he was scared.

"While in anyone else's eyes your intentions would be quite good natured, sir, I cannot create someone that I can never love, and as a result may never end up finding true love. It is a selfish and unkind thing to do, not to mention that it's mostly a waste of time for the creator. You of all people should know about that, Doctor. It's just a miracle that Mr. Skellington felt the same way that Sally did, or she would have died a very lonely woman. But, I digress. I know I grow older with each passing day, and, returning to your intentions, I should be at least experienced with my female peers. For one thing, sir, Miss Shock has been one of my best friends throughout my entire existence, and another thing. I have already found a mysterious enigma which I would like to say I would be very happy with, one day. You can tell me that it's a fabricated fantasy, heck, it very well may be. I know nothing of the girl. However, I tell you this. I know that deep within to the pits of my heart that I...I love her. Yeah, maybe I don't know what love is. That is why I wish to leave you, Doctor. I hate to put it in such random and upsetting circumstances, but to hear you speak like that is horrendous. I cannot stay with a selfish old man and his whore; much less create a sex toy for myself. That, my dear mentor, is simply an improper, not to mention hypocritical, thing to do. You abolish the Pumpkin King for loving his future Queen dearly, and yet you enslave your housemaid for activities of a sexual nature. Which is disgusting, by the way, I would be very surprised that you haven't gotten a reputation. And with that, I shall finish my tirade. I am no longer your creation, nor am I your 'son'." Benjamin finished his speech with disgust, storming out and leaving behind the bewildered Doctor. Benjamin himself felt bewildered as he ran into his room, gathering what few items of clothing he had, plus his thread and needle set. Embarrassingly feminine items to have, but Benjamin was cautious where his hands were concerned. They were known to come off on occasion.

Nobody noticed him walk away from the laboratory at his brisk, angry pace. Though while the boy had fairly long legs, he was also clumsy in his stride, like his red-haired predecessor. There was one person who happened to notice the bundle in his arms.

"Benjamin?" the familiar voice called out to him. He kept walking, hoping they weren't talking to him, until the skeletal hand pressed gently against his chest as he bumped into it. It turned him around to face his owner- the very man Benjamin spoke so highly of before. Jack Skellington looked worried, and surprised. The boy realized how he must have looked to anyone that noticed him. Benjamin hadn't even lost his temper in front of Lock, Shock, or Barrel. '_So_,' he concluded in his mind thoughtfully, '_Jack must be_ _concerned about MY behavior_.' Tucking his things under one arm, he reached up with his other to make sure no tears had fallen. To further his embarrassment, his eyelashes were wet, and a couple of tears were sliding down his cheek. He was officially crying in front of the loquacious Pumpkin King. As if his day could get any worse, he thought morosely.

"Come over to my house and we'll have a chat." was all Jack had to say.

* * *

Not many people had seen the inside of the notorious Skellington Manor. Balanced on a rock precipice, this house looked quite small on the outside. But, like most of the buildings and homes built in Halloween Town, Jack's home was built to confuse people. It was a lot larger than Benjamin had first guessed, with a lounge, parlor room, dining room and kitchen all on the first floor. Jack also mentioned that there was a second story with bedrooms and bathrooms in the house as well, not to mention the famous tower which was currently serving as a guest room. This amazed him immensely.

"Can you tell me what happened, Benjamin?" Jack asked gently. They were sitting in the kitchen, Benjamin drinking rather deeply from a cup of warm tea. He breathed deeply.

"I have abandoned my living conditions with the Doctor, under what you might think are quite random circumstances, but I take them fully to heart. I have realized what his intentions were all along- to make me a selfish fool like him. That is no longer a path I wish to follow; at least not while he is around. Please do not misunderstand me when I say that; if he is to die then I will be a scientist. But that will only be for the benefits of the town, not for him and certainly not for me... He intended for me to create a woman, Mr. Skellington. A perfectly legal... well, a legal sex toy. A half-brained prostitute, like Jewel. I gathered that when he looked at me like he was a pimp and not a doctor."

"Do you have a place to stay? If you don't, I'm sure we can manage something." Jack said kindly, though his face was grave. Benjamin nodded, grateful for the offer.

"I often stayed at the tree house overnight when I was too tired or angry at the Doctor to return home," he explained quietly. "They won't mind if my stay becomes more permanent." Jack nodded politely; he never really liked the trick or treaters that much. However it was selfish of him to keep the boy away from his friends; they were probably the ones who cared about him the most. Suddenly, he smiled. His niece ducked away from the door which she hid behind; giving him opportunity for a perfect change of pace.

"I know this is probably a bad time for changing the subject, but have you met my niece?" he asked, turning his gaze back upon the boy. Benjamin suddenly froze.

_**Ok, maybe, just maybe, Benjamin was a bit more pissed off with the Doctor then I made him out to be. Oh well... I'm quite proud of this chapter, actually. The boy has coming to accept his feelings. Next chapter will also be beginning in Ben's POV, if not the whole chapter will. I've been focusing on him a fair bit lately, haven't I? Don't worry, Clara will get some love soon.**_ **_This is my first update of the year, isn't it? Hmmm.. Anyway, Happy New Year! (Ok, it's a bit late for that. Shoosh.) -HamPickleSandwich. xoxo_**


	8. Skeptic VS Trembling

It wasn't out of character for Benjamin to think quickly. It took him less than two seconds to realize the most important thing he had missed until now. He suddenly remembered seeing the girl with Jack in the Town Hall. At the time, he had dismissed it as a regular coincidence, or perhaps she was a new citizen. But, in retrospect, they looked like they knew each other a bit too much to be just acquaintances. So why not? He was right in saying she was out of his league, it was just that he didn't know that she was so far out of his league that she would be up with the stars, while he stayed on the ground.

"Um, not officially, no." he said, hoping his voice did not betray his hidden shock. He could even feel his back stiffening, cold rippling down his arms. A sugary voice, laced with her familiar Cockney accent wafted in the room. He was afraid to turn around.

"Hello, Jack. Hi, Benjamin." She seemed to sigh with each breath. His nonexistent heart pounded through his chest; giving him a dizzying headache. He tried desperately to remain friendly, turning around slowly, as Jack introduced her in the background.

"Well, this is my niece, Clara Lovett. By the way, Clara, I wouldn't mind if you kept what is said in this conversation a secret, if you choose to stay, of course."

"Clara..." he sighed with content. It was a pretty name.

* * *

Clara sat down next to the boy that looked so much like her, facing her uncle solemnly. Benjamin nodded to her courteously, she gave a shy smile. He didn't smile back, facing her uncle instead. She listened as the pair chatted carefully; Jack talking in soothing tones, Benjamin sounding like he was recovering from a bout of hysteria. According to the distraught creation, Doctor Finklestein had intended for Benjamin to become somewhat of a pimp. It seemed as though the boy still felt very bitter inside, and needed someone to talk to. They had discussed living conditions, Benjamin was spoken for. Clara got an idea.

"May I walk with you to the tree house, Benjamin?" she offered carefully.

"Um, if Jack will allow it...?" he said back, his voice suddenly giving away a nervous tremor. Jack gave Clara a funny look which she had never seen before. Not looking away, he nodded slowly, then turning around to the teapot on the ancient stove.

"As long as you return before dark, Clara." was all he said. Clara grinned.

As soon as they had left the house, the pair became deathly silent. Benjamin held his few possessions in a cloth bag that Jack gave to him; he had been very grateful for it.

"Jack doesn't know the whole story, I can tell." Clara informed her companion absentmindedly, not taking her eyes off the ground she walked on. It was a theory, from the look on Benjamin's face the whole time she was there. It was almost guilty. It looked the same now, and the silence that had ensued after her statement also felt like guilt.

"If you don't feel like talking to me about it, you don't have to." she mumbled, hoping that she hadn't made her friend too uncomfortable. She looked up, to hear him speak.

"You're right. I don't mean to sound harsh, but that is strictly my business."

"Ooh, I think I need ice for that burn." she retorted, smiling mischievously.

"Yeah, well, get your own." Benjamin laughed. He started to relax, though not for long.

"I will one day know everything about you. Including what you didn't say to Jack." Clara was suddenly tense. It seemed to take effect on Benjamin. He shivered. By now they were at the Tree House, and Benjamin had stopped to look up in slight awe. It was now afternoon, and already, dark oranges had started to paint the sky. Clara sighed quietly.

"I suppose this is where you're going to live now, right?" she asked curiously.

"Yep. Hey, you can come up, if you like... Shock won't be home until late, but Barrel should most definitely be in. I have no idea about Lock, though. He can be a bit, well, flighty, if you know what I mean." he offered, his explanation sounding a little crude.

Clara laughed as she followed Benjamin into the now extended cage elevator. Though it was now bigger to fit the teenage bodies of Lock, Shock, and Barrel, Benjamin and Clara still found it cramped with their height. So they sat down on the floor of it, facing each other; their eyes boring into one another intently. Clara knew her eyes were filled with skeptic curiosity. Her male counterpart, on the other hand, looked almost afraid to be there. Well, not there, but afraid of something. Something she couldn't put her finger on. While Clara speculated, she noticed that he trembled, just slightly. Suddenly they were therein the middle of the tree house, now much bigger and sturdier than it once was.

"Lock? Barrel?" Benjamin called out into the darkened room. It smelt of pine wood and salt; but over that was an overwhelming scent of melted sugar, burnt matches, and gasoline. Clara looked around in amazement at the cozy little room, with only a dilapidated couch and a fold-out table. Before she could notice anything else, a girl spoke.

"They've gone out for now, but come on in, Ben! Make yourself comfy!" she said sarcastically. A young girl, around the same age as Clara, strutted into the room. She was dressed in black jeans and a dark violet shirt, a terribly stained apron tied around her waist. She gave Benjamin a look that translated to how much she wanted company.

"Oh! Who's this, Ben?" she asked carefully as her gaze turned to Clara.

"I thought you weren't off work until later? Anyway, this is Clara, Mr. Skellington's niece. Clara, this is one of my best friends, Shock." Benjamin replied, introducing them. Shock crossed her arms at Ben's politeness. Clara stared, unsure of what to do.

"Benjamin, one of these days we are going to beat that formal crap outta you."

"It's a habit I refuse to break out of, Shock. Calling him by his informal name in public is just too... improper. Sheesh, Lock and Barrel don't bag me for it."

Clara realized by then that they were talking about Jack. She decided to side with Shock.

"He does prefer Jack, Benji." she pointed out quietly, testing a new nickname. He blushed upon hearing it, suddenly sitting down. At that moment two more people came into the Tree House. Clara watched amiably as Lock and Barrel appeared, with two square boxes, and a few suspicious looking bottles. She could only guess from their sneaky grins that it wasn't chocolates and soda. Shock cackled at the arrivals.

"We have royal company tonight, boys. Let's make sure she doesn't spill."

"What? Me? I'm not royalty... am I?" she queried worriedly as they advanced on her. Fear rose up in her throat as she backed away from the advancing trio of mischief makers...

**_

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**_CLIFFIE! Ok, I actually have some form of a curfew tonight, so I have to leave it at that. I'm not very proud of this chapter, but I didn't want to leave you hanging. I'm trying to hyper update, but I can't guarantee anything for tomorrow. Thanks again to Cohen's Chicas and hikari123, they are the driving force behind this story right now; because NOBODY ELSE REVIEWS! Maybe I should not write until I get reviews from you slackers. Huh, huh, HUH! *gets up in your face* Ok, that's all for now.  
_**

**_Clara: She's going hyper... that won't help her sleep.  
_****_HPS: Shuddup._**


	9. Dramatic Haze

Clara had her eyes closed the whole time it happened. There was a clunking noise, a trio of gasps, and loud hissing noises. Then there was the crash of her falling down on her bottom, and the murmurs of an almost silent argument; one voice sounding quite sorry for their actions, the other sounding as if it came from the throat of a monster. An obscure thought in her mind told her that her uncle had invaded the privacy of the tree house, another telling her to open her eyes. She was almost too afraid to find what she would see.

"I'm glad that's settled then." a now calm voice forced her eyes open. It certainly wasn't her uncle who spoke, and none of the three who had advanced upon was the source of the hissing. The scene as it had been before had returned, this time with three childish looking teenagers with feelings of disgruntled shame radiating from the look in their eyes.

"Please excuse their earlier actions, Clara. They are a bit too; well, cautious when these things are concerned." Benjamin told her in his quiet voice, reaching into an unopened box, pulling out a circular rod. By the coloured end perched on his lips she could tell it was a cigarette. She wrinkled her nose at the acrid smell which entered the room.

"May I ask who was hissing before?" she asked the boy wearing a green shirt; her voice sounded tiny. As a way of response, his head turned to her male counterpart. His trembling figure seemed to concentrate on the smoking cylinder in his fingers.

"I apologise for my harshness, guys. I've had a pretty rough day." he croaked, his voice sounding even smaller than hers had moments ago. One could tell that he did not lose his temper often. Shaking slightly, the girl named Shock lowered herself next to Benjamin.

"The one in red is Lock. Barrel is the youngest here, I'm guessing. How old are you?"

"I'm fifteen..." Clara trailed off, her voice a mere whisper. Talk about awkward silences.

Clara returned home soon after she had left; knowing what Benjamin had done was, to put in simple words, scary. The gentle giant, crawling like a spider across the ceiling to drop menacingly in front of her, hissing and gnashing his teeth. She hadn't noticed before that his canine teeth actually were tiny fangs. Shock suspected that they were venomous.

"I'm home..." she called out feebly to the open space which was the front hall.

"In here, Clara." an equally soft voice floated out to her from the kitchen. Sally was stirring at a pot; the aromas emitting from the steam were intoxicating, to say the least.

"Clara? You look like you've seen a ghost!" she exclaimed, rushing over to the chair which Clara sat at, feeling her forehead with a maternal look gracing her features.

"We are all dead, Sally." Clara mumbled hoarsely, laughing a little to calm herself.

"What happened?" Sally pressed. She turned off the heat on the stove, steering Clara to the plush couch in the parlour room. Feeling much like a small child, Clara leaned on her future aunt, snuggling into her breast as Sally brought her onto her lap. She shuddered as she recounted what made her feel so scared; Clara never did like anything that was overly scary. Thinking about Benjamin as a scary monster led her to feeling about Jack being about ten times worse. This brought about the nonexistent memories of her own dad.

"They have technologies back home to show things that happened... I saw the machine he created, I saw him slay innocent men the way he did. It was worse than the most vivid nightmare, Sally! And to compare that to what I didn't see Benjamin do frightens me the most! I can't stand things that scare me like that... I can't stand feeling emotions in places I don't allow to be seen, even by me."

Sally said nothing as she stroked Clara's tear stained cheeks. The poor child had bad memories brought back to her by sheer coincidence. She rocked her shivering niece to be gently, her motherly instinct taking over. Her ears pricked up at the sound of the front door opening and closing gently, Zero's bark echoing through the house. She smiled.

"In here, Jack." she called out, before her fiancé could say anything; knowing that it could possibly make Clara more upset. He walked silently in the room, as usual, though rushing in front of the couch to see the solemn Sally and the clearly distraught Clara.

"What happened?" he demanded softly, only having eyes for the sniffling girl.

"She had a scare, Jack... a big scare." she explained, hoping that would be enough for her curious husband. He frowned, something clicking in his mind, and sat down.

"Clara... perhaps you should stay here for a while. Go exploring on the weekend." he suggested quietly. Sally felt her nodding cooperatively. Gently as not to alarm Clara, she lifted her out of her arms. Clara only stared at the floor, deadness in her countenance.

"I think I might go have a bath." she whispered to nobody in particular, getting up, shuffling towards the stairs tiredly. Sally exchanged a look with her fiancé.

Clara lay in the hot water, hoping the heat would relax her stiff muscles. The last time she felt like this was when she saw her own death. Her biological parents dancing around by the oven, before Sweeney drew out his final murder. Nellie, screaming and writing in the fire. There was Lucy's murder too. Before Nellie died. A single swish of Sweeney's knife, and she was dead. Lucy still had the scar too, her only flaw. And finally, there was the death of her father. That little boy, drawing the knife across his waiting throat. Her life was macabre, and she was still scared of it. Not knowing what tragedy she would come across next was the worst thing that she had never gotten used to. Morosely, she came to the conclusion that she didn't want to see Benjamin again, except for occasions that were out of her control. She sat up dizzily, reaching over to the bottle of shampoo. Slowly, she detangled her hair, running the gooey liquid through. It smelt like lavender. Getting it all out took the same amount of time, though, she dragged it out. Conditioning her hair was just the same. By the time that was all out of her hair, the water had been reduced to lukewarm. Feeling clean enough, she splashed her face with soapy water and got out, drying herself thoroughly and putting on a pair of flannel pyjamas. They were white pyjamas that Lucy had given to her before she left for Halloween Town, though she concealed it with her fluffy black bath robe and matching slippers.

She trudged down the stairs to find Jack and Sally talking quietly by the dining room table. It looked like a light argument. Their voices stopped abruptly as she entered.

"Are you hungry, Clara?" she heard a voice ask. She still felt detached, the bubble of haze preventing her from seeing who spoke. She nodded slowly; staring at the couple's linked hands. She saw Sally rise, letting her fiancé go as she returned to the kitchen. Clara sat down diagonally opposite her uncle, locking her hazy vision with his.

"Are you alright, Clara? You seem very shaken still." she heard him ask.

"Jack... he's... a monster. Like... like... Dad." she dragged out her sentence, unsure if it was even her speaking. The slurred voice sounded like they were drugged up heavily.

"Do... do you need to go home? Be honest, we won't take offence." Jack's voice asked again. Everything looked too slow to be happening. She shook her heavy head furiously.

"I want... to stay." she croaked, sounding like that was exactly what she didn't want.

When she collapsed on her bed that night, Clara was aware of the difference between her that morning and her that night. This morning, she had been gloriously happy, actually speaking to the boy. His voice sounded gentle, and his crooked smile was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Now, her opinion had changed. Instead of wanting to know him, be his friend, and possibly love him, she was afraid of him. She didn't scare easily, but this little thing that nobody had really been aware of before now was enough to change her mind about Benjamin. Only one part of her refused to let him go. When his trembling figure had clasped the long cigarette with unfamiliarity, he had looked like a lost little boy that was searching and scared, just like she was now. I reminded her of another musical she had seen via Heavenly technologies. She forgot what it was called, but the words the woman had spoken were just about the same. Clara spoke them aloud.

"Take them all away and you have little old me, searching just like you.'

She fell asleep not too long afterwards.

When she woke up to the faint light that morning, she felt a lot brighter than she had.

"Good morning, Jack! Hallo, Sally!" she called out to the tired pair in the kitchen. Her weary uncle almost looked shocked at her change of attitude. Sally smiled back at her.

"Good morning yourself, Clara. You seem a lot brighter today." she observed, cautious tones lacing her soft voice. Clara nodded exuberantly. She pulled out a plate and mug, preparing herself breakfast for the day. At Sally's approval, Clara munched happily on her buttered slice of pumpkin bread. She took a small sip of her herbal tea gratefully.

"What's on the agenda today, Clarabelle?" Jack asked, using her full name for the first time. Clara paused, disbelief clouding her sight for a moment. She had never told him her first name, nor anyone else for that matter. Lucy was the only one who knew it.

"How do you know my full name, Jack?" she asked, unable to help herself. Jack pushed the white envelope across the table. _Clarabelle Lovett _was embossed in inky black letters.

* * *

**_And that's the end of another chapter. Ok, perhaps it is another cliffhanger, but not so dramatic this time. I actually like this one better than the last, but thanks for sending your love anyway. If you can guess who the letter is obviously from, you get a mini cookie. Thanks for the reviews, Islay12! Thanks again to Cohen's Chicas and hikari123! Ok, now I have to go. BAIE! HamPickeSandwich. _**


	10. Letters and Possible Hangovers

Trying to remain calm, she flipped the letter to the sealed side, opening it.

"Well, first, I'm going to read this letter. It's probably from Lucy. Afterwards, I was thinking maybe I could hang around you or Sally, depending." she informed her uncle, trembling slightly. She remembered her affirmative she made to Jack last night about staying home, but during the night, her mindset had changed, nearly completely.

"I think I'll be alright if I go out today. I had a rather strange dream last night... anyway; I can't really remember what made me so hazy and detached. Sorry if I scared either of you. If it is possible to scare Jack Skellington and his future bride." she explained as she struggled with the seal. It was definitely from Lucy; she told everyone she knew not to worry about sending letters bar her step mother. The giveaway was the Heaven logo on the cream wax seal; a halo and a few Latin words. She forgot what they meant. Finally, she broke it, and pulled out her step mother's letter eagerly. The familiar writing was overly curly, rushed, and messy because of it. Clara envisioned Lucy in a panic.

_To my dear Clarabelle,_

_I am writing to you to present a few options. First though; I must tell you I have been incredibly lonely without you here. Give Jack and Sally my best. And never forget that I love you. I write this letter to you to inform you that your father is going to be on trial. _

_The officials up here have realised that your father returned to England as a broken man, under false circumstances. If the Beadle and Judge Turpin had not had him convicted of a false charge, he would have never been sent to Australia. If that Mr. Pirelli had never provoked him with blackmail; never went to visit him after he challenged your father, then he would never have committed his first murder. Finally, if Nellie Lovett had never convinced him to keep murdering and using the meats for meat pies, then he would never have a time like he has had in Hell. _

_In short, the officials tell me that the part of his life under the name of Sweeney Todd was a hazy false pretence; something that would never have happened under his own control. He is going to be sent to trial, and if he is to be announced innocent; he will be released from Hell to claim life as a Heaven dweller. This would mean that he would be your guardian, regardless of wether he stays with us or not, Clara. _

_You have made it perfectly clear to me where you stand when it comes to your biological parents. Don't make any harsh judgements or rash decisions when you return, I visited him yesterday. He is no longer Sweeney Todd. He is truly the Benjamin Barker that I married in my lifetime. I want to give you a choice- either you return home immediately, or return after the trial. Naturally, I'll send a letter to tell you of its verdict. I would be grateful if you replied straight away._

_Love from _

_Lucy _

Clara's fingers trembled as she put down her letter. Her aunt and uncle once again looked genuinely concerned. Still very tired, but worried about her. She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sweeney's going on trial. Lucy says he's returned to using his real name- Benjamin Barker, that is. Hmmm... Looks like I'll have to refer to one of them as something else."

"One of them, Clara?" Sally asked, slightly confused. Clara smiled weakly.

"There's my biological father, and there's the boy who was here yesterday. Both having the same name, naturally. Perhaps I'll just have to call my biological father Benjamin, and not refer to the boy at all. After all, whatever happened last night, whatever it was; was not pleasant." she explained, not looking up from her letter. As a result of which, she didn't notice the conspiratorial look that Jack and Sally momentarily shared.

"Um, Jack? Can I please use some paper?" Clara asked, finally looking up. Jack nodded, getting up and walking off in the direction of the study. She faced her aunt to be.

"How are you feeling, Clara?" Sally asked, sounding more nervous than usual.

"Amnesic. Was I by any chance really scared by something?" she asked, eyeing Sally with interest. Sally wrung her hands, biting her lip. Clara nodded in approval.

"I thought so. Totally normal for me. My friends have called me bipolar before."

"Actually, Clara, I put some Forget-Me-Not in your dinner last night. Jack and I had an argument about it and I'm really sorry." Sally rushed in one breath. Clara was stunned.

"What?" she asked, a flat tone escaping her composure. Sally looked down in shame. Clara laughed softly. Sally stared at Clara incredulously. As a reply, Clara got up and kissed her aunt to be on the cheek. Afterward, she made her way to the stairs.

"I'm just going to go and get dressed, Sally. I'll write back to Lucy when I'm back."

* * *

Benjamin woke up abruptly. As soon as his head hit the hard wooden floor of the tree house, he grinned, though his head was now throbbing. Sitting up, he massaged his head.

"Look Shock, our Benjamin is growing up. His first hangover." he heard Lock sneer.

"Shut up, Lock. I just fell off the couch and hit my head. There's a difference." he retorted back, not feeling as humorous as Lock had. Carefully, Benjamin stood up, ignoring the dizzy feeling which clouded his judgement. He pulled on his jacket, realising that he had never gotten out of his day clothes. Eh, nobody would notice.

"Shock, do you have anything for headaches?" he asked, concentrating on a loose thread on his wrist. He frowned at it as he sat down to tighten the thread connecting his had to his wrist. Shock left the room for less than a minute, returning with a small vial of clear liquid. She stuck her tongue out at Benjamin when he looked up, his nose wrinkled.

"What is that?" he asked. It stank of things you might find in a landfill.

"Frogs Breath and Deadly Nightshade. I don't have any medical potions at the moment, so you'll have to make do. Believe me, the cover up tastes way better than the sedative."

Hesitantly, Benjamin took the vial, inspecting it thoroughly. He took off the lid.

"Deadly Nightshade gives you a headache worse than alcohol, Shock." he pointed out, screwing the lid back on and placing it on the table. He put his head in his hands.

"The witches want me to go to the meeting tonight, Benjamin. If the boys keep you up then they'll answer to me tomorrow, ok?" he heard Shock say to him gently. He nodded.

* * *

**_And there you have it. Sorry for the long wait, I haven't really been inspired for this chapter. It's short because I'm supposed to be in bed early :P But I really wanted to finish this for you guys! Cookies to those who reviewed! Those who didn't, well... expect to wake up tarred and feathered. Oh, by the way, I have a new story up! While you wait for the next chapter, go take a look. ~HPS xo_**


	11. Like Me

Quite the opposite of Benjamin's flat mood and minor activity, Clara felt hyper. 'Perhaps I AM bipolar,' she thought as she skipped down the stairs. She decided she would help Sally with the household chores today; during the dark times when Jack was a sufferer of insomnia the house had fallen into a state of slight disrepair. Dressed in a grey t-shirt and black shorts, she returned down the stairs to find stationery waiting for her. Jack and Sally were having a quiet conversation, fingers intertwined subtly over the table. Jack had gotten dressed as well during his momentary absence, and it seemed that he had to leave for work. Sally, on the other hand, worked from home and found no reason to leave the house. Clara grinned to herself as she sat down to write her letter; Jack and Sally's happiness was simply infectious. If it was edible, it would taste delicious.

_Lucy,_

_I miss you too. Halloween Town has been alright so far. I've been scared a few times already- I suppose you wouldn't like it here as much as I do. But that may be because of my fatal morbidity. Jack and Sally appreciated the greeting _(She quickly mentioned this to her uncle and Sally as she wrote)_, and they return the affections. You're right, I'm glad you gave me a choice. I don't want to come back home until the wedding is over- if HE is decided to be innocent then I want to have a say on where he goes. He has a lot of making up to do, the wretch he is. I can't believe it- only four days since I've come here and already we face bombshells. Anyway, I have to go, as I promised myself I would do something actually constructive. I love you very much, too._

_Clara._

Sealing the letter mildly, she gave the letter to Jack to post. Straight away, she set to work. The kitchen and dining area was clean already, so she helped Sally dust in the parlour room.  
"Are you sure you're alright Clara? You seem a little blank." Sally asked absently as they worked.  
"I'm sure that I'm alright. Perhaps I should ask that question of you, Sally. You seem almost ill with concern." Clara replied cheerfully, grinning teasingly. To demonstrate this, she twirled around in a pirouette- something she had been taught years ago. There was a sudden knock at the door.  
"I'll get it." Clara cried as she danced over to the door. Well, she didn't really dance, but the hyperactivity that had settled into her brain gave her legs an extra graceful spring. That gave way to disappointment as she opened the front door to find who else but Shock, the trainee witch.

* * *

It was half an hour later and Shock was still there. Sally was concerned about what they were talking about, she tried not to listen out of respect, but some of the things she heard were truly concerning.  
"So what happened to me after he did that?" she heard Clara ask. 'Who did what?' Sally thought.  
"You went rigid. Practically fainted, actually. Ben was really concerned once he took another look at you. He was talking about it for the rest of the night, really." Shock replied in a matter-of-fact tone. Consequently, she heard Clara gasp in shock and indignation. Sally decided enough was enough.  
"Girls, is everything alright?" she asked, pretending she had only heard the gasp. Shock shrugged. "I came over to make sure Clara was alright. She looked terrible when she left our place."  
"I remembered my dad, Shock. I'd explain, but that's kind of personal. No offence, but I don't know you very well and I don't really open up to that many people." Clara informed Shock, who muttered something along the lines of 'none taken'. After this, Shock said something very cryptic.  
"He was raving about you for hours last night, Clara. He was mostly drunk, but you were very positively championed above the rest of the girls in this town." she said mischievously. Clara gaped.  
"Well you have to make sure that next time he holds his tongue and to not even forge what ties he has with me. I won't be here forever, and I personally avoid things which scare me. People who remind me of my own father are not to be referred to in my book." she replied offhandedly. Shock laughed dryly at this, shrugging. She stood up, finishing her glass of water purposely.  
"What can you expect? As far as I know, his head and heart were both from a time where love was immediate and marriage was normal for kids younger than us, even." Shock voiced her suspicions with a tone of politeness and finality. Clara turned rigid, fear and embarrassment on her visage.  
"You say he won't be at the Town Meeting?" she asked, hope lacing her voice. Sally was thoroughly confused. Shock shook her head, and they exchanged goodbyes. Clara promised that they would talk in an entirely private environment after the Town Meeting. After the trainee witch left, Clara retired to her room.

* * *

It was barely the afternoon and already Clara wanted sleep. Anything to make her forget what Shock had just told her. She hadn't said it out of malice, she had made that entirely clear, but when it came to the boy that had given her such a fright, she didn't want to know. The wedding was in a week's time, she wouldn't have to stay that much longer. Was it that hard to avoid a boy that loved you? Tonight would be easy. Shock had told her that he had drunk his sorrows and unease, and had a resulting hangover. But what about the next day? The rest of her stay here? What if she couldn't resist the feelings that responded most objectionably to her common sense? Was she falling in love?

* * *

Jack returned home once again to find Sally in a state of unease. This time it was on a much minor scale, as she was calmly patching up some of the linings on the vampire capes (Sally was the town seamstress, due to her phenomenal skill she had with needle and thread). Still, Jack knew something was amiss. He kissed his fiancée on the cheek as he sat down, putting her work aside and cuddling her, lifting her into his lap casually. They were still quite young as 'people', after all.  
"Where's Clara?" he asked as Sally nestled into his ribcage. Sally looked up, concern flitting over her features. She explained the strange conversation she had partially overheard from Clara and Shock.  
"She's been up in her room since. I decided to let her be, but still, her actions concern me. It's like how she described it herself, like she's bipolar. You saw how happy she was this morning."  
"Maybe I should send a letter to her step mother. She would know if my brother acted the same way at all... unless..." Jack trailed off, realisation flooding suddenly into his demeanour. He chuckled quietly, kissing his fiancée again. Sally gazed up at him expectantly. He leaned back into the couch.  
"Perhaps she is more like me than anyone thought." he explained to Sally. She was still unsure.  
"Before I found Christmas, and inevitably before I found you," he started, rubbing noses with Sally as they recollected that Christmas Eve two years ago, "my mentality was in a questionable state. I started not too long after I met you, actually. I would be euphoric at the strangest things, and disappointed at my success. It was then that I started sleeping less, but I was so occupied with Halloween that I never noticed that I could sleep soundly when I thought of seeing you on my occasional visits to Doctor Finklestein. That's what made me realise I loved you, Sally. That without you, I would turn senile in my prime. Believe me, that is something that no one wants." he continued, watching as the aura around Sally became more understanding as he finished.  
"So, to put it in short, that means that Clara is-"  
"Falling in love. Well, if my suspicions turn out to be real. If they're false, then simply she is going through an adolescent phase. They happen to everyone, and we just have to be patient with her."  
"Practice can never hurt." Sally breathed almost silently as she buried her face into his ribcage again.  
"What?" Jack asked. He was unsure of what she meant. He had a small idea, but he thought that Sally- well, he thought that there was a possibility that Doctor Finklestein had left out that part.  
"Oh, nothing." Sally mumbled quickly. He felt her face burn through his jacket and through his shirt. Jack laughed quietly. Of course. Sally was like fire to his ice. They would cross that bridge when they got there. He decided to abandon the awkward silence by taking a look at the clock.

* * *

Clara entered the Town Hall that night, trailing behind Sally, who had decided to go to the meeting after all. They were both dressed in slightly dressier clothes; Sally wearing a simple grey dress which went to her feet. Clara wore an outfit somewhat akin to what she had worn coming here; a white shirt with a black satin vest, a pair of blue jeans (an: as they now will be referred to as jeans) and her lace up boots. They sat in the front row, away from most of the other townspeople, and watched intently as several of the townspeople put issues forward. Finally Jack announced his progress report jovially, telling everyone that they had been very successful so far. Clara did not admit it, but she found the whole affair quite boring, and sat the whole time pretending to pay attention. After that long time, the meeting ended, and Clara remembered the private meeting she decided to have with Shock earlier that day. She gave her uncle and Sally goodbyes, promising not to return to late, and set out to find the rendezvous point that they had agreed on.

* * *

**_So there. Another chapter done. Hope you're still all enjoying teh storie... Yay for bad spelling cuteness! I got inspired by my new music on my mp3, so if you're bored why don't you check out Robert Pattinson or Eric Hutchinson? Still bored? Get into oldies! From Rubber Band Man by The Spinners, to Tiger Feet by Mud, your parents music can have some real good ones! Love from HPS.._**


	12. Psychic Nightmare

**_Before we start, I must warn you that the following chapter is longer than any other chapter so far. And it goes to a very long flashback. Because of that, I put it into two slightly seperate parts. So this chapter is kind of like a two for one deal._**

* * *

Part 1- The Nightmare

Only Shock, Clara, and Sally knew exactly what was going on, and even then Sally only knew that there was to be a meeting between the former two. The details of why was the part where she had been lost. Clara felt excruciatingly relieved at this realisation; to have your parents know about your possible love life was embarrassing enough, let alone have your almost aunt know about it. She found Shock exactly where she had said to find her; in a small conference room which was free for the townspeople to use. Shock had used her authority as one of the finest trick or treaters to ever live in Halloween Town to use the conference room. Her footsteps echoed on the wooden floor, her conscience nagging at her with every thought. How could she blow off a friendship like that? Since her memory had been refreshed, she had been thinking about his actions a lot lately. Had he sacrificed her emotional state to protect her physically? Clara scratched her head as she nearly walked into the door of the conference room. She could see that Shock was waiting inside, so she sighed, opening the door and taking a step into the end of her life.

* * *

One thing that Doctor Finklestein never really knew about his creations was that each of them had a sixth sense. Igor had the uncanny ability to know what his master wanted, before Doctor Finklestein even hinted at it. Jewel could sense when someone was coming (a hard concept to explain- Jewel knew who the person was, and where they were coming from. She did not, however, know their intentions.). Sally could see what was going to be in the future, however her talent was very flawed. It was very rare that she would receive her clue, and it would be only hinted at. When she had the vision of Jack's Christmas failing miserably she could only guess that it was going to happen when Jack acted out his plan, and that it would somehow involve fire. A week before Clara had arrived she was dusting the old record player which was stored in the tower room, and completely unfamiliar music emerged from the speaker- to this she guessed that someone she didn't know was going to use the record player. Finally, Benjamin had a talent that was akin to Sally's, but he found it more of a sacrifice than a gift. They were less flawed and a whole lot more frightening than anyone in Halloween Town could ever imagine.

Benjamin had nightmares. Not the kind where you were being chased by a monster; that was mostly the norm in Halloween Town. No, Benjamin knew when bad things were going to happen, in the literal sense. He sometimes dreamt of the good things, too, but they were twice as rare. Lock and Barrel watched on in concern as he convulsed over the couch, twitching and gasping in quick, ragged breaths. His eyelids moved much more rapidly than a normal being when they have reached the stage of slumber known as REM.

"Should we wake him up?" Barrel asked, his eyebrows furrowing with concern as he flicked his side fringe out of his eyes. Lock shook his head, knowing that his friend's nightmare would have to take his course. As his best and closest friend, Benjamin had confided in only Lock about his 'talent'. If he was woken up before the dream was over he would scream his head off. He didn't say how he knew that, nor did Lock test this theory. They continued their game of poker, trying to ignore the third boy who instilled true concern into their hearts. Suddenly Benjamin sat bolt upright. He yelped loudly, cussing. His bare chest heaved up and down in a panic. Lock grabbed his shoulders.

"What happened?" he asked firmly. Benjamin shook his head like a defiant child.

"Clara." Benjamin gasped as an explanation. Lock cocked his head. Benjamin's gaze still seemed unfocused, once he had returned to his quiet cussing.

The exact details of Ben's nightmare were hard to get out of him, and then afterward they were sketchy. Barrel had been sent to find Shock (and to secretly make sure she was still with Clara), and to bring her home. Ben had agreed to confess his secret to the other two members of the trio, and they would try to decipher the strange details of the scattered hallucination. Ben felt feverish as he recounted what he had seen in his head. Clara was alone in the forest, scared. A woman approached her, tortured by rage and madness. By the time Benjamin had found the source of the bloodcurdling screams, it was too late. At that point Ben had sat up, sweat beading down his face. Now his body consistently switched between burning and chills; though he was still stuck in the throes of his fear to dismiss that he felt sick. The wretched face of the woman burnt like wildfire; ravaged by hate and somewhat familiar. The look on Clara's face instilled ice in his internals; she looked petrified, knowing her heart would be racing towards it's last beat, knowing that running was futile. All Halloween monsters knew what a poltergeist could do- they were impossibly fast and strong. Despite the fact that they were mostly intangible, they could reduce rocks to dust by a single touch. The reason why Benjamin couldn't breathe was because he saw what the woman had done to dear Clara- it wasn't pretty.

Shock ran into the tree house with Barrel, and the trainee witch kneeled by the couch where Benjamin was currently shivering. She felt his forehead quickly, pulling away.

"He's got a temperature... Can Rag Dolls even get sick?" she asked nobody in particular.

"Sure they can, Shock. Sally got that flu a few months ago, remember?" Barrel pointed out, causing his two cohorts to look at him suddenly. The silence was broken by a horrid cough; Benjamin really was sick. He smiled weakly to nobody in particular.

"I'm never going to drink again, you know that, right?" he asked, again to nobody in particular. The trio again exchanged looks, shrugging. Barrel retired to bed after that, soon followed by Lock. Shock, being a girl that knew simple healing spells, stayed up, concocting a tonic for Ben, hoping that he would feel better soon, for Clara's sake. Though the new girl may not know it herself, Shock knew that she liked the boy more than a friend. Her accent proved that she was from a time similar to Benjamin.

In the end, it was Lock, and not Benjamin, who told the other two of Benjamin's secret. They were both amazed to hear of this, and a little scared. During the night, their subconscious filled them with small frights, whereas Benjamin had real nightmares. When Shock had finally retired, Ben floated into a queasy sleep. His stomach trembled as if he was going to retch at any moment. His last conscious thought was 'Maybe I'm sick after all'. This night's dream was almost the same, except this time Clara was not there at all. Just a glowing orb of light, which throbbed. Benjamin could hear his heart pound in his ears as he found the very image of Clara's fear instilled face. Consequently, he sat right up; turning into the bucket that someone had placed conveniently next to him and retched loudly in the bucket. The first hints of dawn were etched along the horizon.

* * *

Clara woke up starving. She had skipped her dinner the night before, and she woke up, her stomach growling loudly. Taking a peek out the curtains, she pouted at the hint of the pumpkin sun, which wasn't going to wake others up for hours. Giving into her instinct to feed when hungry, she tip toed down the tower staircase, her heart almost stopping when she heard Zero snuffling around his master's bedroom. The ghost dog became alert very easily, and though his bark was quiet, it would be very loud while it was still silent. She decided the best way to continue was to act like she lived here permanently, still walking quietly, but virtually normal to avoid raising suspicion. As soon as she had gotten down to the kitchen, she sighed in relief, immediately opening the cupboard where Sally had placed some freshly baked pumpkin bread the night before. Clara cut herself a slice, buttering it and biting into it eagerly. She was about to swallow the last bite when she saw Zero enter the kitchen, his puppy eyes closing in on her edible treasure, pleading silently with her. Clara groaned jokingly, tossing the morsel to him. As she returned up the stairs to her room, she thought about what had gone on the night before.

Part 2- The Flashback

"Hey, Clara." Shock said amiably. Like Clara, she was eager to make peace before getting to the gritty part of the private discussion. Clara smiled a little.

"Hi Shock. So." she replied, sitting down. A small part of her mind questioned the whole point of the affair. She drew out a chair, facing Shock with false confidence. The trainee witch cracked her fingers, one by one. They both sat in awkward silence for a while.

"So tell me about yourself, Clara. For instance, how in hell do you get to be related to Jack? I mean, no offence, but nobody knew he even had any relatives." Shock began the conversation. Clara kept a steady composure as she told most of her story to the girl.

"Well, when Jack was alive he had an older brother. His name was Benjamin Barker. Jack actually has another niece- her name is Johanna and she was born before Jack died. Except her mother is actually my step mother- her name is Lucy, and her and my biological father were married before he was arrested and sent to some place called Australia on false charges. He came back, and went back to his house, where his landlady was still. She's my biological mother, and she told my father that Lucy was dead, and Johanna was this guy's ward. He got really mad and started killing people. Eventually he killed Lucy by accident and killed my biological mother cause he was mad at her for lying." Clara spoke her words almost offhandedly, as if she had only just been told.

"Wow." Shock gasped. Clara shrugged, her hands clenching into fists.

"You know, the strange thing is that I don't feel hateful at all right now."

"Why is that?"

"I hate my parents. Who wants a mother and father who are soulless? And not only that, but they have you an angel born out of wedlock? Technically, my soul should have been sent to another being. I should be some spoilt little girl living in America."

"Oh. Well, hey. At least you didn't have Oogie Boogie as a guardian."

"Oogie Boogie? As in the Bogeyman?" Clara's slight cockney accent made this sound funny. Shock stifled a giggle before deciding it was her turn for long explanations.

"When we were little, we were much worse than we are now. Lock, Barrel and I were known as the Boogie's Boys, a little club which wreaked small amounts of havoc throughout Halloween Town. Mostly, we kept to ourselves. This was because we kept busy collecting bugs and snakes and other creatures. We were slaves under the name of Oogie Boogie, one of the only souls ever to set foot in Halloween Town with a bad soul. He had had his own holiday, but after it was abandoned by the real world he ran off, hiding out in Halloween Town. Eventually he became the Bogeyman, or the shadow on the moon. When our afterlives started, all at the same time, he found us stumbling in the forest and took it upon himself to see that we were comfortable here. Then, eventually, we decided to dedicate our lives to him, doing anything he asked of us. He took this for granted, giving us torturous punishments if we did our jobs wrong." Shock paused, taking a breath. Clara gave her an empathetic look. While her torture was emotional, theirs was physical. Shock shrugged, and continued to talk, getting closer to her 'happy ending'.

"When Jack defeated him for the last time and we gave up on resurrecting him, we became much better people. Barrel became a much more sensitive person. He currently writes some poetry, and lyrics. Jack allows him to use the piano in the Town Hall for leisure, so he is the most musical of us three. Lock found that he wasn't accused of being a sissy if he actually cared about things. As well as that, he stands to be most reliable person in town. Well, when it comes to fixing things. Lock knows how to do a good job repairing almost any broken item or system, and he knows how to get paid." Shock laughed at this. Clara shared a giggle with her. Lock seemed the type to want in return.

"And you would know by now that I'm the only one with a steady job. I have a small income and we mainly live on what I get paid. We no longer have to be reduced to stealing small portions of candy and soda from the Candy Committee, or tiny amounts of money from the Halloween Town Treasury. Firstly, our tastes have been a bit extended from lollipops and gummy candy. But, more important, we actually work for our own consciences, and though we still play pranks on others, we have become just a little bit respected by the others in this town. Lock and I even found love." Shock finished, gushing her last sentence. She seemed somewhat embarrassed, as her cheeks went darker.

"Oh?" Clara asked. Shock flushed, her cheeks not turning a contrasting red against her pale green skin but a fitting purple colour. Clara grinned at the girl, urging her to go on.

"As much as we hang around each other, Lock, Barrel and I are not related at all. We wouldn't be this close if we were related, believe me." she explained, pulling a little silver band off her third finger on her left hand, offering it to her. Clara gazed at it.

"Lock and I have been an item for about 3 and a half years. He gave me this promise ring about a week before you showed up. And here we are, planning to let Barrel have the tree house once we both turn 21. He's only two months younger than me, you know."

"How old are you now, Shock?" Clara asked, truly curious. Shock gave her a wide smile.

"I turn seventeen the day after Jack and Sally's wedding. Barrel is the only one closest to Benjamin's age; he turns sixteen on the twenty fourth of December." Clara went wide eyed at this.

First of all, she realised she had been extremely wrong about Shock's age, and second, she had never heard of someone having a birthday so close to Christmas. A part of her noted in her mind that it was only April, so there was no way that Barrel was the youngest. She grimaced. She had no idea how old Ben was, specifically.

"I was given my body on a leap year, so technically my birthday is February 29, but I mostly celebrate it on the first of March. Like this year." Shock nodded in understanding, seeing the secret motive behind Clara's statement. She took her ring back, wearing it.

"Benjamin is physically sixteen, and mentally, like, thirty. Emotionally, I'd say he's about Jack's age. You'll have to ask Jack about that, he's been about 20 for yonks."

"Cripes. Seriously? I'll have to take your word for that," Clara said, before pausing.

"So does Benjamin have a birthday of sorts?" Clara asked, deciding to be blunt with her question. Shock scratched her head, thinking hard. She tapped her fingers on the table.

"Ben was made by Doctor Finklestein five years ago, in January. I think the date is January 17th, but Benjamin refuses to celebrate his day of creation in any way whatsoever. He used to get new body parts every year, but since Doctor Finklestein discovered that Ben could grow by himself, he stopped making them for him. So eventually the only way to know what day he was created is ask either Benjamin himself or Doctor Finklestein." Shock explained this guardedly to Clara, watching her for reaction. Clara stared.

"So according to Real World standards, he's only five years old?"

"Yep."

"Jeez." Clara said. She leaned back in her chair, chewing her lip. She spoke again.

"According to Real World standards, I'm about a century old." Clara admitted sheepishly. Shock gaped at her. It took a while before they both regained their composure.

"What matters is your physical age though, right? I mean, Sally's only been around for ten years; but she's physically about 20 years old. Mentally and emotionally I'd say she's older than Jack, obviously." Shock babbled suddenly. Clara nodded; it was common in all worlds that girls matured mentally and emotionally quicker than boys. At this point their discussion was quickly stopped, as Barrel ran into the room unexpectedly.

"Shock, you gotta come home now! Ben was having, like, a seizure or something and now he's gone all freaky!" he gasped, breathless from his sprinting. Shock jumped up.

"I'll see you in the morning, Clara." she said robotically. Clara's head swivelled from side to side, confused. What was going on? How had this happened?

* * *

Clara woke up suddenly, the sun shining into her eyes from a chink in the curtains. It was late morning already. Sighing, she stumbled towards her clothing, changing out of her pyjamas into a dark red summer dress. She wore white tights underneath, her t-bar shoes adding a nice touch to the ensemble. She pulled a brush through her hair (as her hair was surprisingly easy to style, she just preferred to mostly leave it alone), so it hung a little lower than it normally did. The tightly bound ringlets looked a little less unkempt and messy, and they trembled, bouncing with every movement. Clara smiled at her reflection.

* * *

**_And so the chapter comes to a close. This was the longest chapter that I think I have ever done, longer than my longest oneshot, I think. It was 5 pages long. ok, so now I have to go eat my dinner- Fishies and Chippies! :D HAMPICKLESANDWICH xoxo_**


	13. Fainted & Hellish Complications

Due to his fever, Benjamin did not surface for days. He was very appreciative of his friend's hospitality, since he had continuous bouts of vomiting every so often. Every night, he had variations of the same dream. He would see the woman ghost towards her, and then see himself only in hearing range of Clara's screams. The only thing that changed is that the dreams alternated between a bloodied mass of her body and a glowing orb of light, with her dead face etched into its surface. Every time he woke up from those dreams he would vomit for a particularly long time.

He was still sick when there was a week before the wedding of Halloween Town's royal couple. Though, since the sickness had subsided a little, he decided to risk going for a little walk. The stuffy tree house felt very hot, and sweat was rolling in beads down his forehead. Nobody was home, as Lock and Shock were working, while Barrel had told him that he was going to practise in the Town Hall. So without telling anyone, he sat inside the cage elevator, letting it descend slowly into the damp, misty morning. His weak knees trembled as he staggered into the graveyard, using tombstones as support. Eventually, he made it to the steps that descended into town. He took one step at a time, wondering what he looked like to the other denizens. He found Shock sitting by the Retching Demon fountain, doing God knows what with some of the water.

"Hey Shock." he croaked. His voice was hoarse and hurt his throat. She gaped at him.

"Ben! What the hell are you doing out here, idiot! You should be asleep!" she scolded.

"It was really stuffy." he explained, his breath turning slightly ragged. Shock winced at the harsh tones of his voice. Pursing her lips, she stood up to take the water samples back to the witches. Consequently, she asked to take him home and put him back to bed.

"I don't need to go home, Shock. I'm fine... seriously. I just need some fresher air." he tried to reason with her, but his horrible voice did not help his plight. Shock stopped abruptly by a green tent. It was the place where Sally sewed when she was outside.

"Sally? May I come in? It's Shock." she called out. Benjamin heard a murmur of reply; as if she had pins in her mouth. Shock led Benjamin into the small tent, where he stumbled and nearly tripped over his own feet. As his vision went blurry for a fraction of a moment, he saw Clara gasp at him. He couldn't help but notice her cheeks were red.

"You look awful." he heard her say. Shock steered him towards the mirror, babbling on about his fever and how saying he looked awful was an understatement. Looking at his reflection, he had to agree. And not just because he hadn't showered in days.

His hair was flattened against his head, brought down by the sweat that matted its natural shine. The dark purple bags under his eyes were enormous, the colour going down to his cheekbones. Any colour that was once in his face had been almost entirely drained; even his lips had faded to a light pinkish colour. His eyelids drooped, and there were stains from his vomiting on his face. His whole head was lolling to the side a little; during the time he was sick his stitches had been loosened. His hands especially looked just a little detached from his arms. The sight was enough to make his stomach gurgle queasily. Closing his eyes, he turned away from the mirror. He took a step forward, when his knees finally buckled and he fell to the dusty ground in a faint.

* * *

Clara nearly screamed at the state of her friend. While she had planned just to cut things off, she didn't want him to be hurt or sick. She turned to Shock frantically, and kneeled by his side. Shock and Sally also slid down on their knees next to her. They rolled him over, so he could breathe. Sally patted his face in an effort to wake him up. It didn't work.

"Clara, go find Jack, quickly!" she told her. As much as Clara did not want to leave, she sprinted out of the tent as fast as she could run; shrieking Jack's name over and over.

"JACK! JACK, WHERE ARE YOU?!" she yelled over and over, the pitch reaching new decibels. Finally she ran right into her uncle, who emerged from a nearby building, wondering who was calling his name was such fear and impatience. The answer was his bushy haired niece who crashed into him at such a speed that they both fell over.

"Goodness! What's wrong?" he asked, bewildered. Clara jumped up, dragging him by the arm back towards the sewing tent, explaining haphazardly. All Jack ended up hearing was that somebody had fainted.

* * *

Something was wrong. Horribly wrong. Roy drummed his fingers impatiently on the oak desk in front of him. Two of his best sergeants exchanged sheepish and ashamed looks.

"So, what you're saying is, she's disappeared without a trace? No clue as to how she escaped from her MAXIMUM SECURITY CELL?!" he asked, yelling his last words, spitting as much as he could. Roy Satan could be a rather cruel man, when he wanted to. As owner of the Hell Prison Centres, Roy had to be cruel. If he was soft, a lot of sinning people would go to Heaven and the whole system would be corrupt. He sighed, staring at the gothic desk. Standing up and brushing up his perfectly fitted black suit, he walked out of his office, waving for the guards to follow. Without looking, he recounted the story.

"So Prisoner 80CD21059NL escaped from her cell sometime yesterday."

"Yes. The remains of her room were rubble- the case is worse than we thought, sir."

"And what about 80CE21060ST?"

"He's on trial sir- a technicality was detected in his contract."

"Ah, yes. And are there any relatives?"

"Prisoners CDNL and CEST have a single offspring together. Prisoner CEST has a wife and other daughter, both accounted for. The former is currently missing, sir."

"Missing, Gregory?"

"Her location has not been disclosed in our files. However this is only a temporary state. While her step mother has not told Hell officials where she is we know she'll be back within the month." Roy curled his short moustache at this. The prisoner was missing, and so was her daughter. There was no coincidence in this, no doubt about it.

"We need to interview some people about this. Get her step mother down here tomorrow. She and Prisoner 80CE21060ST need to answer a few questions about this whole mysterious affair. We don't want a divine uprising on our hands." Sergeants Gregory and Mastiff almost ran to their destinations. Mastiff to the Heaven Communications department, and Gregory to the solitary confinement chambers. Roy ruffled his brown hair, muttering to himself. God was not going to take this lightly. As his co-worker, Roy had to depend on their polite bond to get this case seen through. His confidence left him as he looked in upon the remains of the prison cell. Not only had she escaped, but she became a poltergeist too? Things really had gone wrong.

* * *

**_And so we finally have another chapter. Thanks to my reviewers: Cohen's Chicas, hikari123, Islay12, DarkestDreamerRubyRed, Three Books In The Fire, and Sunshine. By the way Sunshine, there is a reply to your review on the reviews page since I can't reply privately. Thanks for following the story, I hope this chapter gives you a little bit more insight into who the woman is. :S I think I have given too much away... Anyway, I have to go so bye! Review please! :D *gives cupcakes and cookie dough to reviewers* -HPS xoxo_**


	14. In Her Arms

"Well, that takes Benjamin off the guest list." Jack muttered to Sally as they left the bedroom. After he had fainted, Jack was fetched, and Jack, Shock and Clara took up the job of carrying Ben to the Skellington Manor. Sally, who knew herbal remedies, and had some knowledge of medical related conditions, decided that Ben was most likely sicker than he looked. Clara, naturally, despaired at the thought of Ben getting any worse. Shock had returned back to the tree house in an effort to make living conditions better for him- she temporarily gave up her queen sized bed for the rag doll boy's benefit. Apart from that, the place smelt vile from infrequent cleaning and much more frequent retching.

Until the tree house had become disinfected to Shock's taste, Ben was sleeping in yet another one of the guest rooms in Jack's house. His thoughts turned to concern as he recollected the look on Clara's face as she stared intently into his sickly visage. As if she would give up her whole world for him; but because of this feeling her whole being was shrouded in doubt. Jack draped his arm over Sally's shoulder, shaking the memory off.

"Sally." he said. Another, more pressing matter had floated to the top of his skull.

"Yes Jack?" he heard his love reply back uncertainly.

"Have we got everything sorted out?" he asked.

"Well... list them."

"Do you have your dress ready?"

"Yes."

"Everyone has an invitation...?"

"Yes. You reminded everyone at the Town Meeting last week."

"Ah, I remember. Let's see... the musicians are organised... Mayor is performing the service... Mrs. Corpse is making the cake the day before... the kids agreed to do the rest of the catering jobs... and the tables are in the storage room."

"Did you get the collar for Zero?" Sally asked. Jack smiled, nodding.

"Only four more days to go." he said, kissing her tenderly on the forehead.

* * *

Clara, on the other hand, had her mind on other things. As she stared intently into the face of the rag doll boy, she noticed he had more stitches than she had first counted. There were the obvious ones on his face, as well as the stitching on his wrists, which were in dire need of repair. There was a peculiar one which swirled around his neck twice- it started and finished at the back of his neck. Clara spent some time contemplating why this was. There was also one on his upper left arm; a modest stitch which distracted the viewer from recognising which part was fabric. At this point the damp cloth that was placed on his creased forehead slid off; Benjamin had violently turned to one side and back again. Clara could only assume he was having a bad dream, and she was, for the most part, correct.

* * *

Benjamin was engrossed in his most frightening vision yet. Clara's fate had not changed from the bloodied mess on the ground, no. Benjamin felt that he was running out of time. As soon as the dream had started, Ben knew that he would find Clara dead. Except this time he needed to find Clara before she was so. His whole body trembled, and he felt sicker than ever, but still, he kept running. Running to get to her in time. All he could see around himself were the tall, barren trees of the Hinterland forest, and all he could hear was his own pounding heartbeat. And then he saw her. The woman, again. Clara was just out of reach, and already the woman advanced for the kill.

He sat up abruptly, still floundering in the remains of his vision. His sobs came up sounding childish, and the tears falling down his face made stains. He had only made a single noise when an unfamiliar pair of arms was wrapped around him; protecting him from something that didn't exist yet. He hiccuped another sob, speaking to himself.

"Too late... I was too late... oh, Clara!" he cried, his voice just legible enough to understand. The hands placed on his back started stroking him rhythmically.

"Its okay, Bennie. I'm here. I'm fine. Shhh..." he heard someone say. He recognised the voice with only the slightest bit of embarrassment. His head was sideways against Clara's breast, and her arms were wrapped around him. In better circumstances, Benjamin would have been ecstatic. But now... now all he could think of was Clara's impending doom.

* * *

As Clara stroked Benjamin's back while he sobbed quietly like a lost child, she pondered over her feelings. She had never felt this way before about anyone; not even Lucy. Yes, she loved Lucy, but not to the extent that she'd gladly kill herself a thousand times for her. Thinking this fact over, she consoled herself with the fact that she did not need to kill herself for Lucy's life, because Lucy chose the path of immortality through permanent afterlife. Benjamin, on the other hand... he was fragile. She had no idea whether Halloween creatures lived forever or not. She frowned, clutching Benjamin just a little tighter to her body. At this, she smiled a little. This had to be love... it just had to. When you would give you life a thousand times to someone you barely knew; when you had no problem holding their sick body close to your heart; that had to be love. She, Clarabelle Lovett, loved Benjamin, the rag doll boy.

* * *

There was a new found peace about Jack's relative as Lock, Shock and Barrel helped Benjamin return to the tree house safe and sound. As if she now knew what she had been looking for. Jack smiled; it was such a cliché thing to say about love. To wait a thousand years at the least... Jack's smile grew wider as he recollected his very own feelings. Maybe Clara really was like him, and if so maybe even in more ways than one.

* * *

**_Hey guys! It's been a while since I've updated, so here's a chapter. I was going to add more to this, but I couldn't really think of anything more... so there you go. We're getting closer to the end! Yay! I've never ever finished a story before, it's pretty cool. Oh, and I may be a BetaReader! Heh heh. Love HamPickleSandwich. _**


	15. Cigarettes Required

As the days drew closer to the wedding, Jack became jumpier and more nervous when addressed. He fretted many times to his niece about messing up his vows, or randomly tripping at any moment. Clara had to reassure him many times that a; would not mess up his vows, and b; he didn't need to walk during the ceremony, so why would he trip? She laughed about this many times in and out of her temporary home, causing her own feet to tangle with loose stones. The first time this happened she nearly destroyed the neat wooden frame which was to host the charcoal sketch she had created weeks ago. Luckily, she didn't, and it was secretly stored in a desk draw. When the big day arrived, Clara rose with the sun. Mostly, she couldn't sleep, but she remembered there were some things she had to do before the wedding. Her nimble fingers signed the drawing of the spiral hill and tucked it safely into its wooden housing before anyone could come in. Afterward, Clara tip toed down to the downstairs bedroom; the exact same place where she had accepted her true feelings for Benjamin. Jack was mumbling a little in his sleep.

"Jack, wake up." she whispered, shaking him. Idly, he sat up, looking around him.

"What's going on, Clara?" he asked, still drowsy. Clara smiled.

"Jack, it's unlucky to see Sally before she walks down the aisle. So... get dressed."

Jack sprang to life so suddenly that Clara fell on her backside. After a dozen hurried apologies, Clara all but booted him out of his own home, just as Sally came walking down the stairs. The rag doll was a mess; her hair was in a tangled snarl at the back of her head, the purple shadows around her eyes were almost bruise like, and the stitches on her hands were very loose. Clara groaned; it would take forever to turn Sally into a true bride.

* * *

Meanwhile, the boy of whom Clara held strong feelings for woke up under very different circumstances. His whole body was swaddled in the blanket of his own accord, his body drenched in sweat. It may have been because Ben loved Clara that he had nightmares of this calibre; but all the same he had never quite a nightmare like this before.

The surroundings around the boy were sepia, while he was black and white. Weakly, he staggered after a girl who walked a small way in front of him. They both approached a clearing, where a dark aura waited. The girl looked around; the only colour source in the dream had a fearful look about her as she turned her stare ahead. Out of nowhere, a woman ghosted into view. The boy walked faster, using all of his strength. The girl stood, rooted to the spot while the boy felt his strength fade. The woman reached forward, grabbing the girl's chest. Unlike the silence of the dream, a single scream sounded while the girl's heart was pulled right out of her chest by the woman. In the background, the boy collapsed; his mouth gaping open in a silent scream. His eyes were black, dead.

"NO!!!!!" Ben shouted, louder than he had been for the past few weeks. His head throbbed, as usual, and he was shaking, but still he was strong enough to stay awake. A serrated knife stabbed a jagged hole in his chest as tear slid down his hollow cheeks. Somebody took the Lord's name in vain in the distance- the tiniest voice in his head laughed a little. The much larger part that occupied the space was apologising profusely; unsure wether his lips were forming the worlds or if that was the jumbled slur that mingled with the jagged breaths and tiny moans of guilt, grief and pain. The tiny voice noted that today was the day of the wedding- Clara was not dead yet. Of course, his heart still pounded; ready to fall into cardiac arrest; before understanding his knowledge of his central part of the universe. Once calm again (though, this process took a half hour, at least), his eyelids drooped again.

"Ben? You ok there?" Barrel asked as he passed by the room. Ben shrugged, yawning.

"I need a cigarette." he informed his friend, who cut his eyes at Ben.

"You know Clara doesn't like smokers?" he asked the rag doll, who moaned in response.

"Stupendous. I suppose Shock wouldn't allow it anyhow, with my freakish uncalled for condition?" he asked the ceiling. He heard Barrel grunt in content, before he shuffled off. It was going to be a long day...

* * *

**_I don't really like this chapter- I was facing a severe writers block. So I posted what I've done... it's so annoying to lead up to an event like a wedding when nothing really important happens. So next chapter WILL be the wedding. Yay! HamPickleSandwich xoxo  
ps: This also means we are getting ever closer to the end. There will be at least 3 more chapters after the wedding, and maybe an epilogue/prologue (for the sequel :D), but still, prepare for an end to this particular story. _**


	16. Love Story

The Town Hall was teeming with excitement. Everyone was dressed up- a lot of the clothes that were being worn had not seen light since before Jack was even around. The rain pattered quietly on the rooftop, giving an almost rhythmical atmosphere. Jack gazed outside the window nervously, hoping it would stop soon. He didn't know that Sally was already in the Town Hall, and thought it would be a shame if her dress was ruined, whatever the dress looked like. The slight feeling of tension within the room buzzed amiably with the citizens of Halloween Town, as they gazed with awe at the decorations which boasted of the macabre and the romance within it. The average real world person would not understand this concept, and pass it off as abstract art- indeed, the purple and black was very suitable for the occasion, though highly unorthodox for a wedding.

It was within a secret room once used for more literally horrifying times that Clara was putting the finishing touches on Sally, with the slight help of Shock. Her red yarn hair was braided intricately into an indescribable bun- a result of trial and error from the teenage girls. This would also be the one time in her life that Sally wore lilac shadow over her eyelids, making them shimmer alluringly. The girls decided that there was no need for anything else, as Sally already had red lips and large, jet black eyelashes, and she fitted quite comfortably in the white dress with the very, very pale purple sash that went with it. The sleeves went to the very edges of her shoulders with an innocent neckline. The shirt poofed out a little bit, but not ridiculously- if Sally twirled, the material would flow out, as if controlled by magic.

Shock's attire consisted of her favourite colour- purple. Being a tomboy, she wore a very dressy tuxedo, the kind that is specifically tailored for a girl. It was a specific shade of lavender, while her shirt was white. Her messy black hair was tied back in an elaborate ponytail.

Today, Clara wore a silvery white dress. The bodice was loose with thick shoulder straps and no sash, while the skirt hung down dully to her knees. It would glitter in the sunlight.

In three years time, Clara planned to wear this dress again, so she could be fully accepted into her home. It was a highly complicated formality, one of the many problems which concerned her birth. The contract, which was written down by officials including God and Saint Peter; said that at the age of 18, Clara would undergo a ceremony which would choose her fate. Apparently there was another option, but Clara had no intention of choosing it.

The groom wore a plain black suit, which had been his attire when he had arrived into the town. He laughed under his breath as he remembered. Not a good memory to have.

"Jack, it's nearly time." a girl's voice said. Shock stood a pace away from him. Jack nodded; a strange throbbing rising from his chest into his throat. He trembled a little in his gait as he approached the little podium at which the mayor already stood. The short, triangular man gave a single nod of encouragement before reading over his notes for what must have been the hundredth time that day. Barrel, suited in his nicest black trousers and a bottle green shirt sat down at the piano near the stage.

The doors that led into the Town Hall opened and the rest of the townspeople walked into the aisle, searching for their usual seats. The Hanging Tree was least to arrive, and the little ghoul children who were seemingly parentless climbed up upon his branches for a set. The Hanging Men all wore a bow tie, and the other townspeople were clothed in their finest, just like those that were already there. Barrel cracked his fingers before giving a trilling melody to begin the performance. Jack stiffened, trying to drown out his nervousness by noting the three missing characters from the audience. Doctor Finklestein and his two remaining creations were not attending the event. If Jack was looking upon this in retrospect, he would note that he didn't really care. The notes being played turned to a familiar tune, and Clara stepped through a hidden doorway, the tiniest bouquet of dead flowers in hand. He smiled at the humour of it all.

Clara blushed a little as the twitters of nervous laughter were muttered under the music. '_Barrel plays very well.' _she thought. A shadow moved in the corner of her eye. It stumbled a little in its gait, a consequence of their awkward height. A grin flew to her lips as she thought of who it could be. She reached her uncle, mouthing 'Good Luck' to him. His cheeks went a little grey as something else caught his eye. It was time for the bride.

Sally blushed furiously as she went down the aisle. She wasn't the kind of person who wanted to be in the spotlight. A little giggle passed her lips as she looked at Jack's face; saw the inner fight which argued the reasons why his mouth should not fall in two in his own amazement. Clara noted that the pair looked very natural together. As if this took no more effort than breathing did. Her eyes floated back to the tall figure... and her grin disappeared abruptly as the gangly mummy stepped out of the shadows. Where was Benjamin? Was he still sick? Was he alright? Shock caught her eye as she sent her apologetic looks. Clara nodded morosely. _'Of course. He's still ill...' _

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen. Today we are here to bind our Pumpkin King, Jack Skellington, and our seamstress, Sally, in holy matrimony." The Mayor began his speech. All was silent within the hall as their mayor recounted his memories of the pair- Jack, since he arrived, and Sally since her birth. The only interruption was a very faint coughing that nobody could seem to find the source of, just before the vows. Jack was first, and actually had some of the women silently dabbing at their eyes.

"Sally. My dear Sally. Finally, we have come together at this very ceremony which will see us wed. When we met, I was a very hollow skeleton. I could not sleep at night, I could not eat, and I existed under a mask which fooled even my own mind. When I finally came to my senses, when I realised that you were the other half of my soul, I was very grateful that you felt the same way. That Christmas night was a turning point for us, I promise to cherish you for the rest of my eternity."

"At the moment that my eyes met yours, Jack, I knew that I wanted to be with you for the rest of my existence. Nothing could keep me away from you, not then, not now, not ever. Now that we are about to be bound in a stronger bond than any rope or chain, I promise to cherish you for the rest of my eternity."

"And, at very last, I now announce you king and queen, husband and wife. Jack, you may now kiss the bride."

There was thunderous applause as the newlyweds leaned in for the most romantic kiss in Halloween history. Clara bit her lip and tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she clapped. The townspeople began to rise from their seats to congratulate the couple as they separated, eye and socket locked together in a loving gaze. Clara tapped Jack's shoulder for her congratulations. He was grinning madly as Clara gave him a hug, and then told him that her present for them was on his bed. Then she hugged Sally, who was crying a little. Clara would later admit that she returned her sentiment- but for a different reason.

The seats were moved out of the way by the witches' magic, and it was time for the reception to begin. The adolescent generation went onto the stage with various instruments, followed by the three zombie musicians. They set themselves up in a group and started to play an almost sad song which sounded very familiar. Jack led Sally out onto the now cleared floor for the first dance. Clara sat with Lock and Shock. Barrel was playing piano on the stage. After a few songs had been played, Lock and Shock joined the rest of the dancers. Loneliness swept through Clara before she got an idea.

Clara walked up to the stage, where the musicians were taking a break. Jack and Sally were still taking turns dancing with everyone else, and they were far from finished, so Clara had an idea to give Barrel. He looked at her quizzically as she approached him.

"Can I have a go?" she asked. Barrel scooted over to the side to let her sit on the stool.

"I didn't know you played piano."

"Oh, I don't. I meant singing."

"Sure, I guess... What song?" he asked. Clara blushed a little and whispered it in his ear. Barrel laughed a little before telling the others. The musicians nodded enthusiastically while the other teenagers simply shrugged. The mummy boy ducked behind the stage to find a microphone. Clara felt a little nervous as eyes turned to her, but she was alright once the mummy boy returned, and began to strum his guitar for the beginning.

She began to sing when she found her cue, and people began to dance.

_We were both young  
When I first saw you  
I closed my eyes  
And the flash back starts  
I'm standing there  
On a balcony in summer air_

Clara noticed that there was someone standing in the darkest corner of the hall. Her heart stumbled, but her voice did not stutter. He wore a simple shirt and pants ensemble- she couldn't see his face.

_I see the lights  
See the party the ball gowns  
I see you make your way  
Through the crowd  
And say Hello  
Little did I know_

That you were Romeo  
You were throwing pebbles  
'Till my daddy said Stay away from Juliet  
And I was crying on the staircase  
Beggin' you

_Please don't go_

And I said

Romeo take me  
Somewhere we can be alone  
I'll be waiting  
All that's left to do is run  
You'll be the Prince  
And I'll be the Princess  
It's a Love Story  
Baby just say Yes

He did not move, so Clara could not be sure of whom it was. She decided not to look at him.

_So I sneak out  
To the garden to see you  
We keep quiet  
Cause we're dead if they knew  
So close your eyes  
Just keep this down for a little while_

Cause you were Romeo  
I was a Scarlet Letter  
And my daddy said Stay away from Juliet  
But you were everything to me  
And I was beggin' you

_Please don't go_

And I said

Romeo take me  
Somewhere we can be alone  
I'll be waiting  
All that's left to do is run  
You'll be the Prince  
And I'll be the Princess  
It's a Love Story  
Baby just say Yes

Romeo save me  
They're trying to tell me how to feel  
This love is difficult  
But it's real  
Don't be afraid  
We'll make it out of this mess  
It's a Love Story  
Baby just say Yes

The boy emerged for his shadows the moment Clara forgot about him. She tapped her shoes enthusiastically, flipping her hair a little as the townspeople danced happily.

_I got tired of waiting  
Wonderin' if you were ever comin' around  
My faith in you was fading  
When I met you on the outskirts of town_

And I said

Romeo save me  
I've been feelin' so alone  
I keep waiting for you  
But you never come  
Is this in my head?  
I don't know what to think  
He kneels to the ground  
And pulls out a ring

As she continued, she saw the boy just inside the range of the dimmed light. Of course. Her heart did a back flip as Benjamin grinned weakly at her. Tears were in his eyes- and they matched her own.

_And says_

Marry me Juliet  
You never have to be alone  
I love you  
And that's all I really know  
I talked to your dad  
Go pick out a white dress  
It's a Love Story  
Baby just say Yes

Cause we were both young  
When I first saw you

Not wanting to draw more attention to herself, she walked briskly across the stage and went out the side door.

* * *

**_Finally, I posted the wedding chapter. It is done. Finito. Terminee. :D Thanks to all the reviewers, hopefully you like this chapter as much as you like the other chapters. I think it got rougher as it went along. Oh, and the song lyrics are from Love Story by Taylor Swift, I don't own the song in any way. And just to reinforce all the other disclaimers, I only own Clara and Benjamin, and I sorta made up the 'seemingly parentless ghoul children'- Mummy and Bat Boy are grown up. Anyway... I'll see you next time. HamPickleSandwich xo_**


	17. Destruction

_Not wanting to draw more attention to herself, she walked briskly across the stage and went out the side door.__.. _

"Clara!" Benjamin yelled hoarsely after the girl. She was nearly running now- far too fast for him to catch up by walking. Though he still trembled with his fever, he started to run too. He thanked the Doctor for his long legs as he closed the distance far more easily than he had perceived. Clara continued to ignore him until he grabbed her arm gently.

"Clara, speak to me, please."

The girl gave him a look of pain before collapsing on her knees to the ground, crying.

"No... I can't! I can't go on like this!" she yelled into the night. Her tear-streaked face looked dirty in the faint light. Benjamin knelt down beside her, though his throbbing head wanted to touch the ground and sleep. He grasped her dainty hands with his awkward, clammy ones and looked straight into her eyes.

"I'm not in love with you. I can't be. It would never work out." she whispered.

_And in one moment, the heart stopped. The hand closed around it, leaving it pulverised by the sheer force of destruction. The boy who belonged to the heart was left blinded in his own remorse; seeing nothing but the darkness of the night for the rest of his damned life, for his eternity. __The girl who belonged to the hand faded away like a shooting star, wrapping her arms around herself to prevent the yawning hole from getting any bigger. She stumbled, trying to see past the dark hazy splotches which blocked her own vision. _

Clara found her way up to her bedroom soon enough. She unclasped the hooks and eyes on the back of her dress with trembling hands; put on her white pyjamas numbly. She didn't remember whether or not she had eaten, all she remembered was she took out a piece of her heart and let her mind smash it with a hammer. She had wrecked to truest of true loves; and that is why she fell asleep on her bed, with Zero curled up by her side. She was unable to cry anymore- she was emotionally spent. She let the numbness take over again.

Benjamin didn't know how he got back to the tree house. He assumed that someone had found him, as he felt too numb to be possibly able to walk. He could still feel to cold cobblestone street on his face; the cold hand still pulverising what was left of his world. That night, he couldn't remember if he dreamed. He wasn't even sure if he had ever dreamed in the first place. Clara would still die, and he would still be broken hearted.

* * *

**_I know, I know. That was an insanely depressing chapter. But never fear! We have not yet finished! Next chapter will lead up to the climax. The chapter was inspired by the song 'Breakeven' by The Script. It's really good, look it up! Thanks to Islay12 for being the ONLY reviewer of Chapter 16. You all oughta be ashamed of yourselves. HamPickleSandwich xo _**


	18. Predator VS Prey

It was still dark when Clara opened her eyes. She felt sick, sick to the core of her very being. Somewhere, a whole world had been destroyed because of a lie. She hadn't protected anyone with that lie; only hurt herself and an innocent heart. Sure, she was innocent enough- before last night.

"Clara, honey? Are you alright?" Sally's face peeked into the room. _Oh God, _Clara thought. _I've ruined their wedding night, haven't I? Aren't they supposed to...?_ She caught herself before thinking of impure thoughts. Rubbing her bleary eyes, she directed her blurry vision to the shape that was now officially her aunt. Not wanting to talk, she nodded weakly. Today, she would be leaving.

"Ah. Good morning, Clara." Jack seemed happy enough. In fact, she could see his chest puffing out with unintentional pride. Sally was _his_ now. She gave a glum little smile at the thought.

"I was thinking that I'd pack my things and leave before lunch." she mumbled.

"Sure. I'll take you to the... Say, Clara? How _did _you get here?" Jack asked. Clara shrugged in reply. They could deal with that when they got there. She sipped at the mug of tea that had been placed in front of her by a blithe Sally. There was silence in her head as she climbed back up the stairs and collapsed on her bed. _I'm still tired... my things are all packed from yesterday except for what I'm wearing... maybe I can sleep a little longer. _

Benjamin stared at the black ceiling, hallucinating slightly. He swore that it descended slowly, ready to squish what remained of his beanstalk form as soon as they made contact. His head was being hit by hearses filled with cement going at least 1000 miles an hour. His throat had burned up into nothing but ash, and the strange noise like a dog exploding was probably his cough. He couldn't move a muscle, as if he was dressed in 100 pounds of lead. The growing pains had returned, too- how he was _still getting taller_, he had absolutely no idea at all. Surely he would have reached or grown taller than Jack's height by now. If this kept up, he'd be too big for the tree house, and then he'd be twice as tall as Clara. _Clara was going home today. His prophecy would be put to the test._

_He had to get to her before she did._

Clara looked around tiredly before recognising the path to go home. She turned to Jack one last time, taking in his height, his kind skeletal visage. She smiled a little at his extreme measure of happiness, letting it infect her slightly. This was no time to reflect on the debris that was once a life.

"Jack... thanks for letting me stay with you. You don't know how much these past few weeks have meant to me..." she started, though it was interrupted by a yawn. Jack gave a little laugh.

"I'm glad you liked it here. You seem to have made a few friends..." he trailed off suggestively. Clara shook her head, fighting the urge to cry. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his skinny waist, rubbing her head against the soft fabric of his suit. The faint vanilla scent was comforting.

"Well, come back soon, Clarabelle. We enjoyed having you stay with us."

"I will." she mumbled in reply. She didn't want to escape the embrace- being in the arms of a loved one blocked out the rest of existence. It was like curing a headache or clearing a blocked nose.

Finally, it was time for Jack to return to civilisation. Clara blinked back tears as a strange reverse side to homesickness washed over her. She missed the twisted buildings made to confuse, Sally's love filled cooking, Jack's infectious cheer... and the quiet murmuring of a velvet voice. In truth, Clara had decided that she did love Benjamin with all her heart- it just didn't feel right to do that. After all, she wasn't going to be there forever, and what would happen when she became an angel? She would be bound to the heavens for the rest of eternity. Clara didn't have a choice, and neither did he.

A gentle cylinder of spinning leaves engulfed her, entrancing her with the beauty of the scene. The afternoon sun looked like it was setting, and the shadows made perfect contrast with the bright areas. She felt like painting it, but she had to go straight home. Sighing, she moved on. That is to say, she tried to move her feet. They refused to budge when she tried to walk. The leaves circling her suddenly moved at a rapid speed inside an icy wind, scratching her painfully. She cried out in pain. In front of her materialised a woman. She looked familiar... except they had never met before. She was cackling with laughter, and there was a malicious glint in her eyes. Clara knew to be afraid.

"And so... we finally meet, my precious Clarabelle."

"Who are you?!"

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**_And there you are. We meet the mysterious woman at last. I know, it's so obvious that we should all cry, but whatever. I have a bit of a headache. Please... review. HamPickleSandwich_**  
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	19. Flesh and Blood

All that could be heard throughout the clearing was a single heart pounding with fear. Heavy breaths echoed in harmony as the yawning silence became longer in length. Finally, the woman spoke again.

"You have something of mine."

Clara didn't understand- questions ran through her head like bullets from a gun. _Who is she? Why is she so familiar? What does she want from me?_ She swallowed slowly, gathering the courage to talk.

"Who are you?"

"That isn't important, Clarabelle Lovett."

"How do you know my name?"

"You should know who I am!" Again, the lady's cockney accent hit a nerve. Clara had known this person all her life. That much was obvious. Strategy won over before she realised she was talking.

"What is it that you need from me? I don't think we have ever met before."

"So you do have some brains. You see, our very existence has gnawed at my very being, right from the beginning. The trouble is; you were never alive. Sure, such is life. Except, my pretty little Clarabelle, you stole something of mine for your own afterlife. My soul."

"Your soul? What makes you think I have your soul?"

"You are of my own flesh and blood, Clarabelle."

With those words, Clara recognised it all. In a strange mental phenomenon, Clara lost her vision. Instead, she was back in her very own room, standing in front of her very own mirror. In her reflection was her own face. This only lasted for a few seconds, but that was all Clara needed to understand the very predicament she was in. All too soon, she faced the woman again.

"You're Nellie Lovett."

Benjamin stumbled wearily through the forest. The prospect of his whole world falling apart spurred him on- though he felt as if he would collapse. He was metres away from the clearing when he saw it all. Clara had her back to him, and she was frozen to the spot. The woman was there, too. Avoiding her line of sight, Benjamin used the tactic of climbing up the nearest tree.

"Why would you do this to your own daughter?" Clara asked quietly. Nellie almost exploded.

"You are no daughter of mine! All you are is a consequence of a drunken stupor! I barely remember conceiving you, wench!" At this remark, Nellie began to advance upon her. She began to chant a strange song- a poltergeist's spell. Clara closed her eyes- unable to watch.

"You will keep away from Clara, Ms. Lovett."

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**_Well, now we know why Nellie is being such a bitch. If you still have questions about the whole soul thingie, don't fret. There will be a chapter coming up which will hopefully explain everything. And yes! For the first time ever, we have a double update! *SPOILER*- Benjamin lovers will not like the next chapter. HamPickleSandwich. _**


	20. Black Out Slowly

It was the voice she had never expected to hear in a thousand lifetimes. If Clara was to reflect on her darkest hour, she would recall thinking that she would open her eyes to see a knight in shining armour. She didn't. What she did see was a slim, lanky figure; that trembled as if he would collapse any moment. If things could get any worse, his fever seemed to have risen once more. Despite the irony of it all, Clara felt so grateful to rest her eyes upon Benjamin's back.

"Who are you?!"

"My name is Benjamin."

"Well, blood is blood, no matter how much is shed."

And with that, they began to fight.

Clara found that she was able to move again, strangely enough. Using what little time she had, she scrambled away behind the nearest tree. She felt like a coward, but she had the faintest idea how to fight. Only the most official deities had the rights to use their powers, if they even had any. She watched from behind her tree, fearing for Benjamin's life- stupid as he was for being noble.

Though he was only made of flesh and cloth, Benjamin was quite able for fighting. He moved with impressive agility - considering he was ill - , and used his teeth whenever he could. Shock would have been pleased to know that she was right- Benjamin did have venomous fangs. The truth was; Benjamin had been made for a different purpose. He was aware that he was originally a failed experiment for a disguised weapon. He also realised why he was a 'failed experiment'.

A great crack could be heard through the forest as he was slammed against yet another tree. Though a fair amount of harm had been done to Nellie Lovett's left hand, she was bent on destruction. Being a supernatural being made only to destroy, she had the upper hand on him. Benjamin rushed forward before she turned around. Teeth brushed against cloth with a ripping sound, though the new gash in her skin wasn't very deep. Again, with a flick of her wrist, he found himself face to face with a hard object. He screamed in agony as the sharp point pushed into his eye. When he opened it, he could only see red out of his right eye. Seeing strategy in Nellie's eyes, he ran in front of Clara protectively. She rushed up for the shoving match of the century- though the ground gave up much more quickly than Benjamin did. Nobody understood the phenomenon that kept Benjamin on his feet, but on his feet he stayed, until Nellie's leg flicked right up and kicked him in the stomach with such a force that he flew up and hit the tree that Clara hid behind.

There was a high pitched scream as the final crunch of broken bone left him paralysed. He could barely feel himself bleed; let alone feel any broken limbs that he had- which he did. The only senses that were active were taste, smell and his hearing- he could barely see past the blood which he spat up. All he could hear was Clara crying for help and the cackling of Nellie Lovett. There was a peculiar haze which he did see beyond the red, however. It was strange- as if a person was being built, atom by atom. There was a choked gasp behind him and a new voice which spoke before he blacked out.

"Leave the children alone."

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**_Hello again- sorry the last few chapters have been really choppy and under par. I'll promise my technique will get back to my better standard. I think I have to get a Jojo (HHAW) fic out of my system, but what? Anyway. See if you can guess who the new person is. Get it right, get a cookie. And review, please!! HamPickleSandwich. _**


	21. A Sense of Identity

Clara dragged Benjamin towards her, gathering him in her arms protectively. She realised, with a gasp, that his left hand had fallen off and his head lolled dangerously to the side. Blood trickled down his cheeks- his eye was not the only facial injury that he had received.

"Clara... Clara...Clara..." he murmured repeatedly in his unconscious state. She responded by kissing his forehead softly, smearing the metallic crimson blood across her lips. The unintentional taste would remain in her mind forever. Tears fell through the air, splashing on his pale face. Clara barely noticed her surroundings- and she almost missed the brand new demise.

"How could you do this to me? To _her?!_" the man shouted, grabbing Nellie's collar sharply. It seemed that Nellie didn't have an answer- instead, the most peculiar thing happened. She grinned madly, while black liquid spilled through the gaps in her teeth. Then, when Clara thought she was going to throw up- Nellie exploded in a cloud of black dust. Nellie Lovett was dead.

"What an ending. Too abrupt." a sarcastic voice floated through the clearing. '_There are far too many new people here,' _Clara thought. The official looking man appeared out of nowhere- though Clara realised who this was without any effort. She was in the company of Roy Satan, the most powerful influence in Hell Prison and unholy lands alike. She lowered her head, waiting for someone to approach her. Luckily for Clara, the first person to speak to her was someone she knew and loved.

"Clarabelle! I was so worried about you! Come here, darling." Lucy was very quick to kiss her on the cheek and wrap her arms around her- though it was a bit uncomfortable on account of Clara still holding onto Benjamin. Everything was a blur after her step mother's words- from the trip out of the forest into Halloween Town, where Shock had seen Benjamin and nearly fainted at the state of him. Until she kneeled by his bedside in Jack's home, she saw nothing but his face, all bandaged up.

"Come on, Clara. You need something to eat."

"Lucy's right, Clara. You look really pale." Shock and Lucy pleaded to Clara's better sense.

"I can't leave him, Lucy. He almost _died _for me. And I would do the same." she murmured the last part under her breath, leaning further into the soft mattress. A soft hand patted her hair, before footsteps and the sound of a door closing alerted her to the privacy that had been bestowed upon her. The first thing she did was let out a choked sigh. She had cried far too much for the past few days. Lifting her head a little, she grabbed Benjamin's hand and squeezed it, lifting it to her lips.

One chocolate brown eye opened slowly, looking around curiously. He didn't understand why he could only see out of one eye- but the first thing he noticed is that he didn't feel as weary as he did once. His fever had gone. He could keep his eyes open. His hands were connected to his wrists. Clara was staring at him, dumbfounded. Benjamin stared right back, grinning sheepishly as blood flowed to his cheeks. There was an awkward silence to last a lifetime before he spoke up.

"What?"

At that, Clara snapped back to life. Her brown eyes sparkled in the light that came from the oil lamp. She sat on the side of the bed, holding his hand still. It was nearly numb from her tight grip.

"How are you, Ben?"

"I can't feel my hand." he replied, laughing a little. Clara let go of it abruptly, with a little disappointed sigh. Benjamin took her hand in his.

"My fever's gone. It may have been caused by my mental state going haywire." he explained, twirling the forefinger of his right hand around his ear- the worldwide sign for crazy. Clara laughed too- the first real laugh that he had ever heard from her. It also sounded strange, like she had never laughed before, or maybe she had been crying too much. It was quite concerning for the boy.

"You're not happy." he said. It wasn't a question. Clara shook her head.

"No, I'm not."

"Why is that?" he asked. At this, Clara turned away. She dragged a chair over to the bedside so they were closer to eye level. It was a long time before she answered his question.

"Well, there's the fact that I've never known my real parents. Now I've met my mum. That begs to question as to what my dad's like. Not only that, but there's also a far more pressing issue which neither of us know how to address."

"And what would that issue be, Clara? If it involves the both of us?" he asked, his heart seemingly thudding against his chest. Did his heart even do that? He couldn't recall.

"The fact that you almost died for me, even though I broke both our hearts to the consistency of dust. Oh, and did I mention that I still love you dearly, as impossible as it may seem?"

"It's rather sad, isn't it? I didn't even know your name when I fell in love."

"I think I loved you the minute I saw you." she admitted. Benjamin grinned madly.

"So you still love me, huh?" he asked jokingly. She leaned in slowly. An affirmative noise filled the space between them. And then, quite suddenly, their lips touched.

Kissing doesn't involve fireworks. There are no bells or whistles, or other shiny things of the like. When you kiss someone you love, it is them, and only them. Blood pumps through your veins- even if you are dead. That's how it was for Clara. It was rather lucky to part when they did, though. The door was opened by Roy Satan and the man whose identity had not yet been revealed.

"Clara, if we may have a word with you." Roy Satan sounded a little bored with the whole affair.

"I need to stay here. Besides, he won't intrude." she answered, gesturing to Benjamin. Roy nodded, before pulling up a chair. Clara offered her chair to the other man, sitting on the bed. She took Benjamin's hand for support. The other man looked sadly at her, before Roy spoke.

"As you would know, Clara, Nellie Lovett was an escaped prisoner. From what we figured, she somehow found out about your uncle's wedding and used that as bait to find you. Officials are currently talking to everyone about the crime- Mr. and Mrs. Skellington, Ms. Barker, and Miss Shock." he explained. He and the other man exchanged a glance before facing Benjamin.

"Benjamin, you should be very glad that you're alive right now. Nellie was a poltergeist, and a very powerful one at that. If... ha, Benjamin-yes, you have the same name as Mr. Barker here- hadn't come when he did, then you would have had died out there in the Hinterlands."

"And I thank you for that- Mr. Barker, was it? Thank you so very much." Benjamin replied. Clara stiffened in response. '_Mr. Benjamin Barker?!_' She increased her grip on the boy's hand.

"Aren't you supposed to be at a trial?" she asked the other man, unsure what else to say. He smiled a little, before holding out his hand. Clara stared at it as if it was a toxic substance before he lowered it awkwardly. It was at this point when she noticed the scar on his neck- she was right, it was the very man who she thought it might have been. She didn't know him at all.

"So, you're... my father. Is that right?" she asked, not quite sure what to do with herself. He nodded slowly, approvingly. Again, she saw herself in the man's eyes, and the pure white streak of her made it a definite yes. She smiled a little nervously, waiting for him to say something, anything.

"I didn't know anything about you, Clarabelle. And I didn't realise that my brother was getting married, either."

"Oh. I thought you did." she said stupidly. She had just heard that, while it was an actual wedding, that it was used as bait to find her alone. The nagging voice in the back of her mind reprimanded her for forgetting that fact so quickly. Trying to make herself as small as possible, she tucked her bare feet under herself, after moving to the end of the bed- though it was closer to her father.

"No. I only knew that you were mine, and that's because I had to sign papers so you could live with Lucy." he said quietly. He smiled again- '_probably trying to look friendly._' she mused.

"I think... I think I knew that all along." she said quietly, looking down at the floor. Relief drowned up the awkwardness in the air. Clara didn't notice the look exchanged between Roy Satan and her father before she began to feel drowsy. She turned to Benjamin, only to find that he had fallen asleep again. Slowly, she stood up, content to leave him in peace- and to perhaps ask for something to eat, or maybe find somewhere to have a nap.

* * *

**_OMG!!! THEY KISSED, FINALLY! Sorry, had to get that off my chest. Ok, so the next chapter might be the last chapter, or maybe in two chapters. We are very VERY close to the ending of this story. HamPickleSandwich. _**


	22. Goodbye

_**Wow, it's been a million years since I last updated this! Well, you wanna know why I finally had inspiration to write it? Cohen's Chica's contacted me today. Well, it could have been yesterday, considering timezones, but what does that matter? The point is, she CONTACTED ME. It was one of those moments where you sit there stunned and then suddenly you're too happy to feel any emotion at all so basically you're still sitting there and you realise how cool it is and you start smiling really wide and everything... Yeah. That is how much I appreciated your message, CC, and if you ever get to send me a message again, jump at the opportunity! I just wanted to let you know that I've missed you so much too, and there wasn't a day I spent on the computer wondering what happened to you. I've missed our insanely long emails to each other... it's been such a long time! Also, pardon me for asking but if you could ever let me know what happened to make you disappear, I'd really like to know what happened. Believe me, if was because something terrible happened, I've had a shit year so we could share life shit stories.**_

_**Anyway, before I get even further off track here, this is the VERY LAST CHAPTER. Thanks to all you loyal people who stuck with me until the bitter end - though you're probably going to get an email letting you know about this update and you're going to think "What the hell is this? I don't know this story... *click*... OOOHHHHH, THAT PILE OF SHIT. I REMEMBER THAT ONE! 8D" So yes, thank you for being oh-so-patient with me and I'm sorry it took, like, a year to get this final update. It's been a long road. **_

**_So, if you liked this story, why don't you have a look at Rise - it was originally in the Clara Lovett canon world but I've decided against it. However, Jack still remains to keep Barker as his first human name. Tee hee! It's a whole lot darker than this fic, and has a sassy OC who just doesn't like the way things are. Anyway, better stop rambling or you'll click the back button before I can call you a son of a bunny rabbit. So, for now, adieu. xx HamPickleSandwich._**

* * *

Perhaps it had been a week before Clara finally let herself be persuaded to go home. A lovesick teenager and a dead one at that, she spent almost all of her energies on the most important thing to her – the boy she loved so dearly. However, after the whole incident, something had changed within her. There was a weird weight that had been lifted off her shoulders. Perhaps it had something to do with the warmer season approaching, or the fact that she truly believed her soul to be whole and entirely her own… or maybe it was the sight of the gangly ragdoll tottering through the streets with his arm linked through hers, entirely carefree apart from the bright green eye that put others into a strange sense of unease. Time would heal that small problem as it became more familiar, but while he could not see out of the destroyed brown eye (ruptured from the inside), green had to suit him just fine.

Now she stood at the edge of the Hinterlands, looking nervously into the forest path where her father and stepmother waited. Jack and Sally had shared their goodbyes, and they stood back as Clara and Benjamin stood side by side awkwardly. The sun shone down upon them, illuminating Clara's white sundress as she fiddled with her black frizzy hair nervously.

"I'm going to miss you – did I mention that I love you already?" the boy laughed. Clara sighed.

"Yes, Bennie… I don't know how I'm going to handle a year without you."

"Hey, who said it had to be a year? Think, if I can get a travelling license, I can visit you…"

"That's true, I guess."

In truth, Clara wasn't exactly ready to leave. It wasn't as if she had done much - painted a picture, sung a song, went to a wedding, met her family, fell in love and watched a poltergeist die – she hadn't even seen all the sights of Halloween Town! However, and she remembered the words of Roy Satan as he had left Halloween Town, 'We will need new laws implemented to stop things like this ever happening again. Don't travel by yourself next time, Miss Lovett.' Sure enough, Jack had received the information that any of the souls that were to spend their afterlife here were to acquire a license if they were to leave again. Even Jack himself had had to fill out a lot of paperwork and release forms! Shaking herself from her train of thought, Clara wrapped her arms around her new boyfriend, kissing him as gently as possible. He returned the display of affection, understanding that this was the last show of love he was going to receive for a long time.

"Promise you'll write to me?" Ben asked, sounding like a young child. Clara nodded.

"Promise you'll write back?" she asked back. Ben laughed, pecking her lips quickly and stepping back.

"Come on, Clara!" Lucy called. Clara glanced at her stepmother, then back to Ben, completely torn.

"I suppose you better go." The boy noted glumly. The girl sighed, taking his hand in hers a final time.

"_What's playing at the Roxy?  
I'll tell you what's playing at the Roxy!  
A picture 'bout a man so in love with his Mississippi girl that he sacrifices everything, and moves all the way to Biloxi!" _

"Of course, Clara. He's just a guy doing it for some doll." Clara nodded exuberantly, before realizing that it was really time to go – they would have to be gone by sunset or they would probably get lost.

"Alright, I better go. Just remember that I am some doll, and you're the guy… MY guy." she laughed.

They kissed one last time, and then she was off. Walking in between her parents at the gates where Peter waited, she realized that her adventure had never ended.

Love was the real adventure, and it had only just begun.


End file.
